Frenzy
by Hero Memory
Summary: It shocks Sonic to hear that Amy has been murdered, but a box containing a letter from the deceased sends him on a frantic journey to find the killer. But what will the truth cost the world? "If Sonic truly murdered Amy Rose…." Tails took in a shaky breath. "We'll lose more than Sonic. Everything we know will be wrong."
1. Cold Blood

Okay, it's time for me to put up my first fanfiction. This takes place in the games universe, sometime before _Sonic Unleashed._ So here it goes, but first:

Disclaimer: I don't own Sonic the Hedgehog, or anything like that.

**UPDATE: Chapter edited to strengthen the writing. No drastic changes and certainly nothing that changes the plot.**

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The whirring of sirens screeched in the investigator's ears as she pulled up in front of the bank and parked just outside the ring of people. Lights flashing blue and red brightly seared her eyes in the darkness of night. The cold air of night hit her as she stepped out of her car. She took a deep breath to steady herself. For such a normal sight considering her line of work, she had a feeling tonight was not going to be a good night.

The crowd surrounding the bank was abnormally still. Few whispers passed as they held vigil. Instead, their eyes seemed glued to the scene within the bank that they couldn't see. With a sigh, the investigator began to wrestle her way through the crowd. Some people moved from her way, while others were too busy craning their necks to notice she was there. She narrowed her eyes. She didn't like this. Crimes were nothing new to Central City. Why were so many so curious?

At the front of the crowd, yellow police tape held everyone back. Police officers stood there, eyes sweeping the crowd in an effort to make sure no unauthorized personnel got through. The investigator pulled out her badge and showed it to an officer. He glanced at it briefly with tired eyes before nodding once. The investigator ducked under the police line and walked into the bank.

Much of the outdoor noise was silenced by the walls, but that did not keep the anxious mood of the crowd outside the building. The victim lay in her own blood on the cold floor, staining her pale fur bright red. Her body, so young in life, was so small in death. A shiver ran up the investigator's spine, unnerving her only further. She usually did a good job avoiding becoming emotionally attached to the victim of a crime. Such things kept her sane.

An officer stood near the body, taking notes on a pad of paper. He faced away, as if made as uncomfortable as the investigator at the sight of the victim. The investigator walked toward him despite her urge to ignore the body. "What happened here?" she asked, not liking the strange shake in her voice.

The officer jumped slightly at the unexpected voice. He looked up and saw the investigator. "A shooting, and a violent one at that," he said finally. "And the witnesses won't tell us much of anything. We suspect this was a set-up."

"A set-up…" the investigator muttered thoughtfully. "Make it look like it was sudden, but instead it was planned." She liked the idea of that even less. That someone so young would have people plotting to kill her…the investigator shivered. She asked, "Was anyone else hit?"

"Oddly no. And there were tons of bullets flying; you would have thought at least there'd be another injury. We've found five so far, and we're pretty sure there's more," he said.

The investigator's eyes grew wide. "Someone really wanted to kill her. Or was just a really horrible shot."

The officer nodded. "This was one of the more violent shootings we've had in a while."

"Are there any suspects?"

"No one. I couldn't even begin to guess. The shooter was too thin to be Dr. Robotnik, based on one witness's report."

"Nor is the Doctor typically so violent," the investigator pointed out. "I really don't think he'd cross a line like this."

"Correct. The shooter was also short. Incredibly short."

The investigator's breath caught in her throat. "So you think it's an anthro?"

He shrugged. "No idea. It's a possibility, and at least a start for the investigation."

"There's that, " she whispered. The investigator looked down at the victim now. Blood batted in the anthro's fur. The creature's face looked…strangely calm, considering her violent end. The poor thing, her life so short. "Was a relation contacted?"

"Yes."

"Is it…?" her voice trailed off.

The officer sighed and nodded sadly. "Yes."

The investigator blew out slowly. She didn't want to see this, but it was likely she would. Nothing like this had ever happened in that circle, despite their tendency to become involved in danger. There really was no way to anticipate _his_ reaction. "How soon until he gets here?"

"Considering who he is, any moment now."

The investigator turned toward the door. She heard someone arguing with an officer. "They called me, now let me through!"

This was him.

"Let him through," the investigator called across the bank, her voice echoing strangely against the stone walls and sounding far too loud.

He ducked under the police tape and walked slowly through the open doors of the bank. His once lively eyes seemed dull and pale, or maybe it was just the light. His feet dragged along the ground as though he was exhausted. The investigator's heart ached just watching him. She and the officer moved aside to allow him through. He dropped to his knees on the ground beside his friend. Her blood stained his fur, but he seemed to not notice. He took her gloved hand and pressed it to his heart. His face turned down and dark in the dimly lit bank made it difficult to tell if he was crying, but he was obviously in mourning. The investigator doubted she had ever seen such sadness in any living creature. He had lost his friend in a brutal attack no one deserved.

Sonic the Hedgehog had lost Amy Rose.


	2. Shattered

I'm moving pretty fast right now in writing this, but it'll start to slow down very soon. It's just I finished this today and I had time to type it, so I got it up. I hope you like it!

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The swiftly moving wind choked Sonic as he ran against it. Tears steamed in his eyes, but he didn't want to blink. His lungs begged for easy oxygen. His heart pounded in his ears. He had never run so long before.

And he didn't plan on stopping any time soon.

The screaming of his body distracted him from the pain Amy had left behind in him. It had only been twenty-four hours since he'd seen his friend's broken body on the floor of the bank. The image would be burned into his memory for the rest of his life.

Sonic had done so much to protect her. He had made sure none of his enemies knew he loved her, just to keep her safe. But it had all gone to waste. Now Amy was dead without knowing how Sonic felt about her.

It was too dark to see, and trees raked their twigs against Sonic's skin. He barely noticed, his body too numb for feeling.

Sonic felt like a failure. It was a new feeling to him. Always there had been a chance to stop the failure. He would bash up a ship, crash down some robots, and save the day. But there was no fixing a mistake and rescuing a friend when the friend was dead.

Blinded by his tears, Sonic had no idea where he was going. He moved unconsciously, hoping his feet knew the way. It took him no energy to move. He just ran automatically without input from his brain.

Who had killed Amy? The police said they didn't believe it was Eggman. Sonic agreed. Eggman was a dangerous, loony genius, but he was not a murderer. A kidnapper, sure, but he wouldn't kill Amy. Not like Sonic had ever intended to give him the chance.

Sonic was aware enough to realize he was in a forest. Finally, he slowed down to a walking pace. Sweet oxygen filled his lungs. Tears ran down his face against his will. He collapsed against a tree, hating his weakness. Amy must be up in Heaven wondering what was happening to her hero. But Sonic couldn't help it; it took all he had to keep from screaming out into the night.

His friends must be so worried about him. Even though he was usually difficult to find, the way he bolted off this time was so different. Sonic wondered what they must be thinking about him.

Sonic knew it wasn't easy for his friends either. Cream went into absolute hysterics when she heard, Tails seemed more shocked than anything else, and Knuckles was in disbelief. It was _Amy._ She was the kick-butt, insane, damsel-in-distress girl. Never the victim of a fatal shooting.

Sufficient oxygen in his lungs, Sonic leaped into the air and up into a tree. He grabbed at a large branch, stopping his flight. He pulled himself up so that he sat on the high-up branch. Sonic let his eyes close and just breathed. The colder air cleared his head.

Sonic wondered what Amy was thinking right now. She probably saw Sonic and his high adrenaline running recklessly around the world. He hoped she understood what he felt.

He blamed his tears on the cold air and quickly brushed them away. Why did it have to feel so much like last night outside? Every night like _that_ night would never feel the same again.

The scratchy branch beneath Sonic's legs kept him understanding that this was real. He felt every bump through his fur as it touched his skin. A slow suspiration flew from his mouth. He didn't want this to be real, but he couldn't escape the reality. "Amy," Sonic breathed.

He let those words disappear before saying anything else. "I'm sorry."

Sonic ran his fingers over his quills. Sonic hated this situation. He didn't know how he should be reacting. The weirdness of it all overwhelmed him.

Sonic stood up on the branch, putting a hand on the trunk to keep his balance. The leaves above and below him danced in the slight breeze. Everything around him acted normally. The wind still blew, plants still lived, gravity still worked. But something was off.

With a quick breath, Sonic leaped from the branch and landed hard, feet first, on the grassy ground. His body knew what was coming and cried out in pain. He ignored the cries and bolted.

With Amy gone, there was so much pain in being alone, so much that it was too much to handle. Maybe being with his friends would help. They could be broken together.

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Please read and review! I love to read reviews!


	3. Airborne

I'm moving so fast right now, but I doubt I'll upload another chapter tomorrow. My update rate _is_ going to slow down, sorry. I just have a lot of time right now to write.

I must thank my wonderful reviewers! Thank you so much! I hope you'll continue to read my story.

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With his keen sense of direction fried, it took Sonic until the sky began to light up to find his way back to somewhere familiar. The sun's rising helped him as he navigated his way further A gentle morning mist hung in the air, keeping him awake and alert despite his desire to collapse and sleep a few hours.

His friends' houses were near, as was Angel Island, and Sonic wondered who he should go to see. Obviously not Cream. Waking up a six-year-old at six in the morning was _not _a good idea. Knuckles was always somewhat awake, but not really the person Sonic wanted to talk to right now. Tails, on the other hand, would probably be a good person to be around. He would be awake now, toiling away in his workshop. He and Sonic were best buddies. The only thing that kept them from being actual brothers was they weren't technically related. Sonic knew that if there was someone to talk to, it was Tails.

Sonic quickly changed directions and bolted towards Tails's workshop.

—

The large door, large enough to let an aircraft through, was open when Sonic reached Tails's workshop. He rapped his knuckle on the side of the doorway. "Tails? You here?" he called out.

Sonic stepped through the doorway. Tools were scattered around the workshop, showing obvious usage. Tails sat in the cockpit of the Tornado, tinkering with something. He looked up. "Oh, hi, Sonic. What are you doing here?"

Effortlessly, a grin formed on Sonic's face. "What? Can't I come see my little bro?"

Tails returned the smile. "I just didn't expect to see you."

Tails climbed out of the Tornado and walked over to his friend. "Are you okay, Sonic? You look like you just ran through a hurricane."

"I do?" Sonic looked down and saw the slices on his arms and legs from where twigs and branches had scratched him when he was running. "No big deal. Just another adventure."

Tails nodded, but Sonic saw that Tails was still worried. "Seriously, little buddy. Don't worry about it," Sonic assured him.

"Well, in that case, I just modified the Tornado. It'll go way faster now. You wanna try?"

The excitement in Tails was like that of a little kid. It made Sonic happy to see Tails not dysfunctional because of the death of Amy. It felt weird too. Was it okay to just move on? Was that what Amy would want? Right now though, Sonic knew Tails would be better off happy. "Sounds good!"

Tails ran back over to the Tornado and climbed in the cockpit. Sonic followed him over and sat on the Tornado's wing. Tails flicked switches and turned handles that Sonic didn't even know the Tornado had. Tails pulled down his safety harness and fastened it. "You ready?"

Sonic gave him a thumbs-up. "You bet."

The height of adrenaline would hopefully be enough to distract him from Amy for a while. That's what he needed right now.

As Tails started up the Tornado, Sonic gripped the wing. It would be horrible to fall off the Tornado when it took off. Once in the air, they'd be more lateral and steady, Sonic wouldn't have to hold on.

The propeller spun hard until it's sound was almost making Sonic's ears ring. The plane's wheels rolled forward and the plane slid out the door. They continued down the runway, quickly picking up speed. At the end of the runway, Tails pressed a button, and the wheels retracted. They had reached open air.

Tails quickly turned the Tornado, knowing Sonic would not be comfortable flying over open ocean. Now above the land, Sonic loosened his grip on the wing. The Tornado _did _feel faster. Sonic closed his eyes against the wind. The amount of wind made it feel like he was running. Sonic wondered if he was smiling or not. Suddenly, he heard Tails's voice above the propeller. "Sonic, are you okay?"

Sonic opened his eyes, ready to nod, but found himself dizzy. The world danced before him as strange blobs of color. This had never happened while he was flying before. Sonic quickly closed his eyes again. "Sonic?" Tails said again, panic beginning to become evident in his voice.

Sonic was scared to answer; he thought he might be sick. What was happening to him? Why? The only reason he could think of was Amy, but he hadn't been thinking about her while he was in the air. Was her death affecting his health?

The plane began to descend, probably because Tails wanted to make sure Sonic was okay. Sonic wanted to tell Tails to stay in the air, not wanting to ruin the test flight, but Sonic was afraid to open his mouth.

Sonic felt the jolt as the Tornado landed. Startled and not gripping the plane's wing, he fell off and hit the ground. He rolled along the ground a few yards before he managed to stop himself. His stomach did not approve of such jostling. As Sonic got up on his hands and knees, he began to heave. Nothing came up as he hadn't eaten in a long time, but his body struggled to realize that fact. After several moments of dry heaving, his body got the message and stopped. By this point, Tails was rushing over. "Sonic, I'm so sorry!"

Sonic breathed heavily a few moments before replying. "It's not your fault, Tails. You didn't do anything wrong."

"I think I must have messed up modifying the Tornado. You looked so pale...."

"No, nothing felt wrong with the Tornado," Sonic said as he struggled to his feet.

"And then I landed bad...."

"I wasn't holding on."

"But I—"

"Tails," Sonic interrupted, "it's not your fault. I really don't know what happened. One moment I was fine and the next I couldn't see straight."

"Has that ever happened to you before?"

Sonic shook his head. "No. And I don't have the first idea about why it happened."

Tails looked at him worriedly. "Are you thinking about Amy or something?"

"I'm fine."

"Are you sure?"

"Don't worry."

Sonic didn't want Tails to be concerned about him. Sonic was worried about Amy, but he wanted to be okay. He wanted Tails to be okay too, and that wouldn't happen unless Sonic was okay.

Sonic didn't know what had made him so sick. Could Amy's death really do that to him? What more was going to happen to him?

Sonic had the feeling this wasn't going to get better any time soon. In fact, something inside him told him this was only going to get _worse._

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In case you're confused on the setting, Tails's workshop is the place where it is in _Sonic Adventure. _I just wanted to clear that up.

I also want to dedicate this chapter to one of my best friends. Her birthday is tomorrow. Have a happy birthday!

Please review!


	4. Simple Innocence

I haven't updated all weekend, but I have an update now. My update rate is going to be more like this or slower as time goes on. I don't really know for sure.

I hope you like my fanfiction and continue to read. Please review when you're done with the update!

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Sonic's sleep drowned in nightmares.

Maybe deciding to get some sleep was a bad idea. He crashed on the couch at home and was out within seconds. But every image that played in his head frightened him. His nightmares all ended with Amy's dead body on the ground, surrounded by a pool of blood.

The last one finally woke him up. He stood in the bank surrounded by many other people. No one noticed Sonic, and he wondered if he was a ghost here. Then Amy walked in. She held her small deposit book tightly. She seemed sort of nervous being alone in such a big building. She was only twelve after all. But she still dazzled Sonic. She was so full of life, still a little kid, but one who knew how to be an adult. She was aware of the world but sill naïve. Sonic felt obligated to go over and protect her.

But he didn't get the chance.

A cloaked figure walked through the doors. Sonic noticed the figure, but it seemed no one else did. When Sonic tried to move, Sonic realized his feet were glued to the floor. When he tried to cry out a warning, no sound came. The cloaked figure raised his arm, his hand holding a shiny gun. Sonic watched, as if in slow motion, as the figure's finger pulled the trigger. Then again. And again. And again. And again.

The bullets slid through Amy like butter. She froze, her jaw dropped. Blood flowed freely from her wounds. Sonic heard screams in the background, but all he focused on was Amy's breathing. It sounded harsh, uneven, shallow, and panicked. She fell to her knees, then on her side. Sonic watched as blood spilled to the ground and the light faded from Amy's eyes.

Sonic turned to look at the cloaked figure, ready to demand answers even though he had no use of his vocal cords. The figure slowly turned so he faced Sonic. Shock and fear flooded through Sonic's body. The figure could see him? The figure lifted his arms and pulled down his hood. A smirk was on his face.

It was Sonic.

Sonic woke up screaming. He cut off when he realized where he was. Dark walls surrounded him in a place that once felt like home. He rubbed his eyes in an attempt to wake himself up. The room had grown dark as he slept through the day and was now bathed in a dim gray light. Sonic stared up at the ceiling, gray because of the light. In anger and frustration, he pounded his fist against the couch.

And then he jumped three feet into the air when he heard a knock at his door. Sonic sighed heavily. Who would be here so late? He trudged over to the door and pulled it open. To his surprise, Cream stood outside accompanied by her floating chao friend Cheese. "Hello, Mr. Sonic!" she greeted.

Sonic blinked, still surprised. "Cream, did you come here all by yourself?"

Cream shook her head. "No; Cheese came with me."

"Chao!" Cheese said happily.

Sonic couldn't help but smile. "Come on in, Cream."

Cream walked happily through the front door, followed by Cheese. Sonic asked, "Does your mom know you're here?"

"Yes."

"Uh…Cream? Isn't it sort of late for you to be out?"

Cream looked out the window. "It wasn't that dark when I left. But then it got dark very fast."

"Ch-chao," Cheese agreed.

Sonic sat down on the couch and gestured for Cream to sit. She took a seat on the couch next to Sonic. "So, Cream, why did you come over to visit me?" Sonic said, still confused about why Cream was here.

"I wanted to make sure you were okay, Mr. Sonic," she told him. "You must miss Amy."

The pang hit much deeper when Cream said it. With her innocence, she saw things much kinder. She saw Eggman as a bad man, not as some insane genius with a desire to conquer the world. "Yeah…I do miss Amy. But things will be okay," Sonic assured.

"Are you sad?"

Sonic didn't want to worry Cream, but he didn't want to lie to her either. "Well…yeah. Of course I'm sad. But Amy's okay now. No one can ever hurt her again."

"Mr. Sonic?"

"What is it, Cream?"

Cream was silent a moment. Then she asked softly, "What happens to people when they die?"

Sonic froze, surprised by the question. He should have expected Cream to ask it sooner or later, but it still came as a surprise. How could he explain something so complicated to someone so young? "Well…" Sonic began, "when people die, several things can happen. Um…for Amy…she was a pretty good person. She was nice and she did what was right…so she went to Heaven."

Cream coked her head to the side. "What's Heaven like?"

Sonic sighed. "I don't really know since I've never been there. But I know it's the best place ever."

"Are there flowers?"

"Uh…" Sonic had no idea. It wasn't like he had a picture. But maybe it did have flowers. It made sense to him. "Yeah, Cream. Lots of flowers."

Cream asked, "Do you think Amy's happy there?"

Sonic nodded. "I'm sure of it, Cream."

"But you're not there. She probably misses you too."

Sonic wondered about that too, if Amy missed him at all. "She's still happy though. I don't always need to be there. Plus, she's looking down on us right now. She can see me whenever she wants."

"Oh." Cream looked up as if that would enable her to see Amy. Then she turned and smiled at Sonic. "I bet she is happy!"

Sonic nodded then looked out the window. The sky was nearly black now. "I'd better take you home, Cream."

"Okay," Cream said, bouncing off the couch.

Sonic picked her up. "Get a good hold on Cheese. You're going home at sonic-speed."

Cheese flew into Cream's arms, and Cream hugged him tightly. "We're ready, Mr. Sonic."

Sonic pulled open the front door. "All right then. Let's go."

And he bolted. He tried to go slower than usual for Cream's sake. Cheese cheered excitedly in Cream's arms, and Sonic smiled. Innocence made everything so simple for them. They saw the world simply. Sonic wished he saw like that. But at the very least, he wanted to protect their innocence.

Cream's house wasn't far from his home, and Sonic reached it in about a minute. The dimmest light still glowed in the sky. He placed Cream on the ground. "You good?"

Cream nodded. Cheese cheered again. Sonic turned around, ready to bolt off again. "Mr. Sonic?" Cream said softly.

Sonic turned around. "What is it, Cream?"

Cream smiled at him. "Don't worry. Amy's happy now."

Sonic nodded. "I know, Cream."

And then he was gone like the wind.


	5. Anamnesis

Yay, I have a new chappie! First, I'd like to thank all of my reviewers, especially nightingale07 and Kat the Kamel for their multiple reviews. Please keep reading! I love to read your reviews.

Now it's time to get the plot rolling! Thank you, Esper of Light, because you're review made me write this chapter faster!

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"Hey, Sonic?"

Sonic opened one eye. He was laying back against a wall in Tails's workshop trying to get some sleep. He noticed now that the sounds of Tails's tinkering had ceased. "What's up?"

Tails walked over to his friend. "I'm going over Amy's apartment with Cream today. We're going to go through Amy stuff, and I was wondering if you'd want to go too."

Sonic opened the other eye. "Yeah, sure. When you going?"

"I was going to leave now."

"All right." Sonic jumped up. "Sounds good. How are we getting there?"

"Cream's coming," Tails pointed out, "so we should take the train. I don't want to take Cream in the Tornado. Just in case something happens."

_Definitely, _Sonic thought. Something bad could happen in the sky, and there was no way they were willing to risk Cream's life.

"We'd better go then," Sonic said. "The next train leaves in fifteen minutes."

Tails looked at the clock on the wall. "Oh. Yeah, you're right. Let's go."

—

Cream and Cheese met them at the train station. In the grass off the platform, Cheese played. It looked like Cheese had found a bug and declared it his new best friend. With only a couple of minutes until the train departed, Cream convinced him it was time to leave.

They paid their fees and boarded. The train was fairly empty, and they easily found three seats together (Cheese sat on Cream's lap). Sonic felt his heart thundering in his chest as the train started. Nerves jumped around his stomach rapidly. Why had he been so eager to come along? It wasn't like he was _excited _to go to his dead friend's apartment. He tried to distract himself by watching Cream and Cheese play peek-a-boo.

It didn't take long to get to Central City. And as soon as Sonic got off the train, he struggled to suppress the urge to get back on. Standing in wait at the train station were Rouge and Shadow. Sonic felt his jaw drop. What were they doing here? Shadow seemed to be wondering the same thing evident by the scowl on his face. Rouge, on the other hand, walked right up to them. "Hey, honey," she greeted. "How you doing?"

Cream said politely, "Hello, Miss Rouge."

"Rouge, what are you and Shadow doing here?" Tails asked.

"G.U.N. wants us to search Amy's apartment with you guys," Rouge replied. "They hope we might find some clues to who killed Amy."

"But how did you know we were coming?" Tails asked.

"Spy work."

"Oh."

The group started walking, Shadow a little ways behind. "What do you think you're going to find at Amy's apartment? Do you think the murderer was there or something?" Sonic said.

Rouge shrugged. "Don't know. They just want us to check."

_If that guy was in Amy's apartment.... _Sonic didn't finish his mental threat.

Only Cream and Cheese had ever gone to Amy's apartment before so they led the way through the busy streets. Sonic didn't usually move so slowly, or visibly, through Central City, and he felt many eyes on him. Sonic hoped that Amy's apartment was nearby. He wanted to get all the stares off of them. "You're quite popular, aren't you, hedgehog?" Shadow said.

Sonic turned around and looked at Shadow. "What? You feeling lonely?"

Sonic walked backwards, hoping his friends would warn him if he was about to run into someone. Shadow glared at him. "You're dreaming," Shadow growled.

"If this is a dream, then I don't want to know a nightmare," Sonic replied, thinking of how he was living without Amy.

"It's already a nightmare for some of us," Shadow said with a scowl.

"You're friendly today," Sonic said, turning around. He asked Rouge, "What's wrong with him?"

"It's Shadow, honey. It's what he does," Rouge said.

Cream stopped and turned around. "This is her building."

Sonic felt his heart freeze just knowing that. He stared up the tall building. It looked like any other building. But now, it wouldn't be any other building. It would be _hers._

They walked inside the building, and Sonic immediately noticed a problem. "How can we call up to her apartment? No one will answer."

Like most apartments, Amy's building had the feature where you needed to call up to the person so they could buzz you into the main part of the building. "Here," Rouge said, handing Sonic a key.

"How...never mind." It wasn't worth asking how she had gotten the key. Either G.U.N. had connections or Rouge had stolen the key. Or both.

Sonic slipped the key in the lock and turned. He heard a click and the door opened soundlessly to a warm lobby. A pair of elevators waited in one of the lobby's walls. They piled into an elevator, and Cheese flew up to the panel full of buttons. He pressed one, and then with a cry of "Chao!" proceeded to press them all. Cream said, "Cheese, we only need the fourth floor."

Shadow groaned as Sonic let out a chuckle, both directed at Cheese. Cheese either didn't notice or ignored them as he flew over to Cream's side. The elevator began to move up. They stopped at the second and third floors, courtesy of Cheese, before reaching the fourth floor. Cream led them down a hallway. She stopped in front of room 412 and slipped her hand under the welcome mat outside the door. She pulled a small silver key out and inserted it into the lock in the doorknob. The door opened, revealing Amy's apartment.

Sonic thought Amy's apartment would be filled with pictures of him. But there wasn't a single one. Her apartment seemed too plain to be Amy's. "I wonder why she took down all her pictures," Cream said out loud.

"Maybe the murderer took them," Tails suggested, his voice shaking slightly.

"Only if he's a stalker. Not saying that couldn't happen," Rouge said.

"Is there anything else wrong?" Tails asked.

Cream shook her head. "No. Just the pictures."

Sonic's eyes bounced around the room. The room felt awkward; it didn't feel like hers. It couldn't be hers. She was so fun, so fearless. This room was bland, normal. It didn't feel right.

Sonic's legs moved him forward although he had no recollection of him telling his legs to do that. Numbness ran through his body. He stared at things, but he didn't know what. His hand ran over furniture, but his brain didn't register the texture. He felt his friends (and his not-so-friend) moving around him, but he wasn't sure who was closest. His heart thundered in his chest, and his brain felt like it was filled with a fuzzy fog. Time proceeded around him, but it left him behind. He struggled to breathe. The legs beneath him felt like gelatin while the arms at his sides felt like lead. _This was once all hers...but it doesn't _feel _like hers._

"Sonic?"

An electric bolt ran through Sonic's body at the sound of Tails's voice. His eyes flickered to Tails who was holding a medium-sized cardboard box. "I found this under Amy's bed. It has your name on it," Tails explained.

Sonic walked up to Tails and lifted the box out of Tails's arms. On the box in black marker was "To: Sonic." He recognized Amy's handwriting. "What's this?" Sonic wondered out loud, taking it over to the couch.

Sonic looked up again. No one was in the room but him now. Tails had probably left him alone so Sonic could go through what had been left for him. Sonic lifted the flaps of the box open and looked inside. The first thing that caught his eyes was a sheet of loose-leaf paper written on in Amy's handwriting. He pulled it out and began to read.

_Dear Sonic,_

_If you're reading this, I'm no longer alive. Even more than that, I've been killed. Otherwise, I would have gotten rid of this letter by now._

_I wrote this for you because I need to tell you something very important. Listen, I knew I was going to be killed. I've been followed for a while. I can't tell you all the details right now since I don't have much time, but you'll know soon. I can tell you I don't know who my killer is. I'm sorry I don't. But I need you to find out for me. This man can't be allowed to kill anyone else. And trust me, he wants to. You've got to stop him, Sonic._

_In this box, I've left several things for you. One thing I found up near the Master Emerald. It's a device that releases rings when you need them. I think you might need that. I just hope I'm right about what it does. I talked to Knuckles about it, and he told me how it works. By the way, he's thought you had it since I found it. I also found a Chaos Emerald recently. I know you'll need that. Finally, I've left you a picture of us together. I hope that will help you. _

_But please stop the murderer. I have left what hints I could around the world. You'll know how I hid them once you find them._

_Sonic, I'm so sorry I'm gone. Please know that I'll always love you. And I know that somewhere deep down you love me too._

_That's all I can say. I'm out of time. Love you._

_Always,_

_Amy Rose_

Sonic stared at the letter, dumbstruck. Amy knew she was going to die but didn't tell anyone? And why was she being so mysterious?

Sonic looked into the box. He saw the glowing green Chaos Emerald and pulled it out to set on the couch next to the box. Next he pulled out what looked like a bronze armband about the length of his forearm. He slipped it on his arm, and it tightened securely on its own. Sonic's eyes grew wide. He examined the band's ridges and watched as some sort of golden fluid flowed through the veins. Finally he extracted the picture. He lifted the small rectangle carefully and examined it. Amy smiled happily at the camera while Sonic was laughing. Sonic swallowed hard in an attempt to stop his tears. _I promise, Amy..._

_...the murderer will be stopped._

* * *

Now the plot is coming in. Please tell me what you think!

Also, in case you're confused by the whole "ring armband" thing, I'm talking more the rings from _Sonic X _rather than the video games' rings. Just needed to clear that up.

Until next time,  
_Hero Memory_


	6. Carving a Path

I meant to post this yesterday, but then I got busy. For one thing, I finally got _Sonic and the Black Knight. _I love it!

I have the update all ready now, though. Thank you, my reviewers! Please continue to read!

* * *

Tails heard the slam of the front door as he continued digging under Amy's bed. Tails stood up quickly and walked into the living room. Sonic was gone. _Why would he leave? _Tails wondered.

The flaps of the cardboard box were open, and Tails looked inside. It was empty. Tails was sure something had been in there before. Why had Sonic taken the stuff and bolted? "Cream, did you see Sonic leave?" Tails called.

Cream looked up where she stood in the kitchen off of the living room. "He left?"

Tails looked at the door. "Yeah."

"Maybe he was too sad," Cream suggested.

Something inside Tails told him that wasn't it. The stuff from the box was gone and so was Sonic. There had to have been something in that box that would have made Sonic leave.

Tails walked back to Amy's room where Shadow and Rouge were going through Amy's closet. "Sonic's gone," he told them.

Shadow muttered something that sounded like, "Pathetic."

Rouge asked, "Any reason why?"

"I think it might be because of something in the box I gave him."

Rouge looked at him, suddenly interested. "What box?"

"I found a box under Amy's bed with his name on it."

"Show me."

Tails led the way to the living room and to the box. Rouge looked inside. "There's nothing in there."

"I think there used to be," Tails insisted.

Shadow looked in the box. "There used to be a Chaos Emerald in here. I can feel it."

"What?" Tails said.

"How can Amy get her hands on a Chaos Emerald and I can't?" Rouge wondered, sounding indignant.

"For whatever reason, he grabbed it and bolted," Shadow said.

"Can you figure out where he went?" Tails asked.

Shadow said, "No, not unless I have a Chaos Emerald. I don't have enough Chaos Energy in my body to track Emeralds."

Rouge turned to Tails. "Do you have any idea where he could have gone?"

Tails shook his head. "No."

Shadow looked out the window of Amy's apartment. "And knowing that hedgehog, he could be anywhere."

—

Sonic ran through a heavily wooded area. Adrenaline made his vision sharp and reflexed quick. He felt the folded up letter and picture rubbing against his skin from inside his glove. The Chaos Emerald was securely tucked into his quills. The bronze band was tight on his arm. He dodged the trees easily as though they were spaced out by miles. His eyes burned, although he wasn't sure if it was because of the wind or because of unshed tears.

He couldn't afford to lose time. How many people would die if he slowed down? There was no way he was going to let what happened to Amy happen to anyone else.

Suddenly, Sonic skidded to a halt. _Do I even know where I'm going?_

Usually, Sonic didn't think too hard about where his destination was. If it was him traveling, he didn't care where he was going. If he was going after Eggman, he would find his destination easily because Eggman was so showy. But this time if he waited for some sign, someone would be dead. Waiting was impossible.

Sonic sighed heavily. _Where do I go now? Amy, why didn't you tell me where to go next?_

He pulled out Amy's letter and read through it again. Amy said she'd left notes along the way, but she didn't say _where. _Sonic turned the letter over. The back was completely blank. _What do I do, Amy? I can't stop the killer if I have to search the entire planet to find him._

Then something in the corner of the paper caught his eye. Sonic held the paper closer to his face. _1523 Showered Avenue. What's there?_

Sonic didn't recognize the particular address, but he knew the street. It wasn't far. Sonic looked up at the sky and decided that he could get there before dark easy. Sonic sped up, running seamlessly through the trees once again.

—

Tails paced anxiously around his workshop. He hated Sonic leaving so suddenly like this. Usually it wouldn't bother him. But that box...it just changed everything.

After Sonic had left, Tails hadn't been able to concentrate on Amy's stuff. He wanted to get sorting through Amy's things over with. It wasn't like he enjoyed it. Rather, it hurt, made his heart sore. He missed Amy, although probably not as bad as Sonic. So having something else on his mind didn't make the sorting any easier.

Tails just needed to find out who did it. Who killed Amy and why. That way, they could be rightfully punished.

Tails's eyes caught sight of the phone. He stared at it a few moments before walking over and picking it up. The phone beeped as he pressed the numbers. He held the phone to his ear, and it rang a few times before someone picked up. "Guardian Units of Nations. State your name and business."

"Miles Prower," Tails said. "I would like to assist in the investigation of the murder of Amy Rose."

* * *

From now on in the story, I will be using other POVs along with Sonic's. They'll still be in third person limited, but focusing in on the thoughts of different characters, like Tails.

Until next time,  
_Hero Memory_


	7. Breaking Point

The next chapter is up! I really like it too, since we've got some action and plot in here. I hope you guys enjoy it.

Please review! Comments and criticism are greatly appreciated.

* * *

The buildings around him seemed ready to collapse, and the street was wrecked with cracks. The sky above his head seemed darker around here. Why had Amy led Sonic here?

Few people lived here now. It was too dangerous. Gangs hung out in the shadows; Sonic saw them out of the corner of his eye. No one dared approach him, however. They knew who he was.

Sonic stepped up in front of the building Amy had specified. It was small and rundown, neglected. What had Amy been doing in a place like this? Sonic knocked on the front door, very aware of the echo it made. He waited a minute, but no one answered. Impatient as always, Sonic turned the knob and opened the door. Little resistance met him as the door creaked open, revealing an even more pitiful looking home inside. Sonic feared that one step inside would cause the entire floor to cave in. Then a folded up piece of paper on the ground right inside the door caught Sonic's eye. Sonic bent down and grabbed it. His name was scribbled hastily across it in Amy's handwriting. He unfolded the note.

_This building will hold your weight. My letter's hidden inside. Don't worry about the floor; just find my note. I know you'll find it. Only you can think of where._

Sonic furrowed his brow. Where was the note? What did she mean by only he would know where? _What would Amy think I know? Did she already give me a clue? _Sonic wondered.

Sonic slipped out the letter from under his glove, and the picture from Amy fell out. _Wait a second…._

Sonic unfolded the picture and examined it. Amy smiled back at him, making his heart skip a beat, and he turned his gaze quickly on to himself. He was laughing about something, although Sonic couldn't remember what. But he was holding something in the picture. A chili-dog.

Sonic couldn't help but smile. _Of course I'm the only one who'd know._

The floor squeaked loudly as Sonic carefully stepped across it. Amazingly, it did hold his weight, just like Amy said it would. In the kitchen, he opened the refrigerator. It surprised him when cold air blasted on his face. There was actually food inside. A shiver ran down his spine when he realized what that meant.

Someone must live here.

Trying to ignore that fact, Sonic looked for Amy's note. There was no stray piece of paper lying around, but Sonic saw a jar of chili. _The best chili is homemade, but for the sake of the note…it could be there._

Sonic pulled out the jar and yanked the lid off. Inside rested a folded up piece of paper. He turned the jar upside down and the piece of paper fell into his hand. He unfolded the note and was surprised by the length. Apparently, Amy had a lot to say.

_This is where the first murder occurred. You see, I wasn't the first one. Yeah, I know I'm going to end up dead. I already know. I just do. Just like the first girl._

_I don't know who she was; she just got killed. I heard a scream and I walked in on the murder. The killer was cloaked so I couldn't see his face. He held the gun to my head, and I was too scared to move. His voice, when he spoke, sounded so much like yours, Sonic. But I knew it wasn't you._

_He told me he was going to kill me too. And if I told anyone before he did, they'd go on his list too. But I'm telling you now. You won't know till after I'm dead, so it won't matter to him._

_The killer told me he was going to kill one person before me and three soon after. He only gave me one clue: one of the people after me had the initials K.N._

_Try to find her…or him. I don't know which. They live in Westopolis, according to the killer. Don't let the person die like I'm going to. Stop the killer. Meanwhile, I'll see what I can do. I'll try to find K.N. too. I'll leave my next note there._

_Always,_

_Amy Rose_

Sonic breathed in shakily. He couldn't believe what Amy had gone through. How many times had he seen her between her witnessing a murder and Amy actually experiencing her own? She kept it all from him in the hope of saving his life. But didn't she know he could handle himself just fine against someone whose only weapon was a gun?

Who was K.N.? He had to protect one person with the initials K.N. in Westopolis? Could Amy be any vaguer?

But it was Amy's wish. He had to do it.

Sonic tucked the letter under his glove and carefully made his way to the front door. When he opened the door, however, a surprise waited for him. A raccoon, maybe a year older than him, stood outside the door. "What'cha doin at my girlfriend's house?"

_Does he mean dead girlfriend? _Sonic shrugged. "Nothing; just leaving."

The raccoon didn't move. "Ya know she's dead. You kill her? You returning to the scene of the crime?"

"Listen. I already told you, I'm just leaving."

The raccoon's eyes narrowed. Sonic saw a gang of four he had noticed before gathering around, most likely the raccoon's gang. The raccoon said, "Well, I guess we're gonna have to check."

_I don't have time to waste; I've got to protect K.N., _Sonic thought.

Sonic didn't waste another moment. With a swift uppercut movement, Sonic slammed his fist into the raccoon's jaw. A cracking noise reached Sonic's ears, but he wasn't sure what had just cracked. Blood flowed freely from the corner of the raccoon's mouth. The creature did not approve. "Get him," the raccoon growled, spitting blood in Sonic's face.

At the first step of the gang, Sonic attacked. Sonic pounded his fist in the stomach of the closest member who immediately doubled over. At the next, Sonic ran his foot under the individual's legs, tripping the gang member. Sonic slammed the heads of the last two together, both of which never saw it coming.

Sonic wanted to do much worse, although he didn't know why, but he had to get out of there. This had to be quick work so he could protect K.N. Sonic left them surprised and bleeding as he ran down the street.

Sonic's heart beat loudly in his chest. What had he just done? Sonic's mind couldn't come up with an answer. It didn't have _time_ to come up with an answer. He had to get to Westopolis. He had to find K.N.

He wouldn't let what happened to Amy happen to anyone else; it was as simple as that. Let the world be warned.


	8. Bloodlust

Wow. For once I'm getting an update early in the day! That makes me very happy! So anyway, this chapter _is not _from Sonic's POV. It's from Tails's.

Please read and review!

* * *

Tails hated being in this room, but it was what he had signed up for. If this is what he had to do, then so be it. Whether or not he threw up on the floor or suddenly started crying. Seeing your friend's dead body in front of you could do that.

It was the first time Tails had seen Amy since she'd been shot, and Tails's heart froze at the sight. So many bullet holes ruined her body and blood stained her fur. It was horrible to look at.

Tails turned his gaze to look at the floor. The knowledge that her body was right there, however, still continued to attack his brain.

He wondered what he should be doing right now and looked up at the General. Tails prayed that he wouldn't have to do an autopsy. But then again, the cause of death should be evident. _Bullet holes _might be the clue.

The General cleared his throat. "So…Mr. Prower…any ideas?"

Tails looked at him confused. "On what?"

The General's eyes flickered to Amy. "On what happened."

"Well…she was shot."

"By who is what I'm asking."

Tails shook his head. "I don't know."

The General sighed. He sounded a little angry, and Tails couldn't blame him. When they had received Tails's call, G.U.N. probably thought that Tails would figure everything out. Not be as clueless as they were.

"So what are you doing here?" The General seemed tired of this. This was pretty serious after all. Sonic was a world-renowned hero. If one of his friends received a bullet, the apocalypse might as well have been put into motion.

"I'm just trying to do what I can to help."

Tails turned his gaze back to the floor. He felt sick to his stomach and his eyes itched with tears. Maybe there wasn't anything he could do.

But what would Sonic think if he knew what Tails was acting like? _Buddy, you're stronger than that. C'mon, you'll figure out what to do. Don't worry about it._

Tails gathered in a shaky breath and turned his gaze to Amy's body. His heart dropped to the pit of his stomach when he noticed that Amy died with her eyes wide open. He swallowed hard. "Um…so many bullets hit her?"

"Six. Ten were fired."

A tear slipped from Tails's eye. Then he turned back to the General. "Can I see one?"

The General opened his mouth to respond, but the door behind him opened. A soldier walked in and saluted the General. "Sir, we have another murder. Possibly related."

The General took the folder from the soldier. "What?"

"Her name is Kora Neils, sir."

"All right. I'll come in a minute."

The soldier ran out of the room as the General flipped through the folder. Tails asked, "What's going on?"

"Another murder. Based on these reports, I'd say it was done by the same person who killed Amy Rose." The General flipped the folder closed. "We need to investigate the crime scene."

Tails nodded. "Okay." _Anything to get out of this room._

Tails followed the General out of the room but couldn't help turning around and looking at his poor friend's body. _I'll do what I can, Amy. And I bet Sonic will too. The murderer will be caught. _

Tails walked beside the General in the hallway. "Can I see that?"

The General looked up from the file. "Sure," he muttered, handing the folder to Tails.

Tails flipped open the folder. A picture inside showed her species to be a deer. Tails quickly looked away from the picture, not wanting to know what the face of the dead anthro looked like. Her name was Kora Neils, and she lived in Westopolis according to the information next to the photo.

What was the connection with Amy? Tails could see that she had been shot, but that didn't make any difference. A bullet shot could mean anything. Tails personally didn't know Kora and doubted Amy did. Why would Amy have gone to Westopolis and have ended up meeting her anyway?

Tails turned the page. Pictures of the crime scene already rested inside the folder, Tails discovered. As Tails swallowed to keep himself from getting sick, he thought, _Oh, that's why they think the shootings are related._

Multiple bullet wounds pierced the deer's dead body in the middle of her apartment. Tails shook his head. Who could be doing this? Attacking innocent people only to spill their blood?

Before, Amy's death made sense: she was a friend of Sonic so that made her a good target. It would wreck with Sonic's head. But now…why was this murderer continuing to kill anthros that Sonic didn't really know? Was Amy just a random murder? Or was there a deeper connection?

Tails flipped the file closed, not wanting to find out more about the violence. He stared straight ahead as he walked down the hall.

Tails hated the idea of having to investigate the crime scene, but if it stopped these violent murders, then that's what he would have to do. Tails began the long process of preparing himself to see someone's poor cold body lying on the floor pierced with bullets and stained with blood.


	9. Tear Apart the Pain

Thank goodness for no homework! I wrote half this chapter today because I didn't have homework. Yes! This chapter could be one of my favorites so far. But I'm not telling you anything. Just read. And review too. Anonymous reviews are enabled. Now, please enjoy!

* * *

As Sonic walked down the busy streets of Westopolis, he caught sight of a news stand swarmed with people. "What's up?" Sonic muttered to himself.

He walked up to the crowd and pushed his way through. It seemed everyone was here to buy a newspaper, and Sonic understood why the moment he saw the headline.

_THE MURDERS CONTINUE_

_16-Year-Old Kora Neils was found shot to death today in her Westopolis Apartment._

_K.N._, Sonic realized, gritting his teeth. _I'm too late._

He snatched up a newspaper and dropped the money on the counter. He elbowed his way out of the crowd and as soon as he was free, he began to read the article.

_WESTOPOLIS-Today, the teenager Kora Neils was found dead in her Southern Street apartment, shot multiple times. Neighbors claim they heard nothing and would never have expected something of this sort to happen._

"_She kept to herself really," said her 43-year-old neighbor. "Quiet, kind, nothing out of the ordinary. I'm in shock actually. An innocent girl shot like this. It's such a shame."_

_The police suspect that the murderer could be the same as the one who killed 12-year-old Amy Rose in Central City._

"_We don't want to set anything in stone just yet," admits one officer, "but the deaths are extremely similar. It's possible that one murderer killed both girls."_

_The murderer of Amy Rose has yet to be found. The Neils case currently has no suspects and there were no witnesses. No consolation can be given as of yet. The murderer could still be on the move and precautions are advised to all citizens._

Sonic growled. _Sorry, Amy. What do I do now?_

Sonic balled up the newspaper and threw it in the trash. He still needed Amy's letter from that apartment, but with police swarming it, Sonic was clueless on how he would break in. It wasn't like he broke into buildings all the time. That sort of stuff he saved for villains like Shadow.

But right now, he didn't really care. If that's what he had to do to get Amy's letter, then that's what he would do.

* * *

Tails felt very crowded with about twenty people in one person's apartment, especially with part of said apartment taken up by a dead body lying on the ground.

An involuntary chill ran down Tails's spine. He wondered what family the girl had that who were probably off sobbing somewhere. They weren't allowed to see their poor relative's body because it was part of a crime scene.

But honestly, Tails could vogue that it was probably better not to see your loved one's body broken and soaked with blood.

Bullet holes wrecked every part of the room. So far, only seven bullets had been found, but the police expected that there had to be at least fourteen.

Tails currently inspected the bullets carefully. They seemed different from other bullets of a similar type. These seemed customized for the shooter. And each and every one was branded with a logo Tails didn't recognize. If Tails could get his hands on the bullets from Amy's case, he could determine if the murderer was the same.

"What have you got, Tails?" the General said from behind Tails.

"All these bullets have some sort of symbol in the side, maybe a logo," Tails explained.

"What do they look like? I'll contact the manufacturer," the General said, pulling out his cell phone.

Tails shook his head. "I don't think it's like that. I think whoever killed Kora made these bullets himself." Tails looked at the General. "I'm pretty sure this guy is a professional killer."

"Going around killing random girls?"

"Amy wasn't random," Tails said through gritted teeth. No way someone was going to talk about his friend so heartlessly.

The General didn't push Tails in the killed "girls" subject. "Do you know anyone who would do this?"

Tails sighed. "I wish I did, but I've never dealt with anything like this."

"Keep looking then."

The General walked away, and Tails turned back to the bullets. _Our biggest problem has always been Eggman. This murderer makes him seem like a perfect angel. Who could be doing this?_

Tails bit his lip. He had no idea what the first step to figuring out this mystery would be. Figuring out what to do next was sort of Sonic's job. Sonic decided what he wanted to do, and Tails just followed his friend's lead. But this time, Sonic was MIA. Tails was on his own here.

* * *

As darkness fell, Sonic watched officers leave the apartment building. Sonic stood in the shadows of a building, unable to be seen. His heart jumped a bit when he saw Tails exit the building. What was he doing here? Sonic resisted the urge to run up to him. He knew this had to be done alone.

Sonic found himself tapping his foot impatiently, waiting for everyone to leave Kora's apartment. He couldn't be sure if everyone was gone so he wanted to wait as long as possible.

Finally, his attention span decided it was time to stop waiting and start acting. He quickly looked up and down the street and, seeing no one, approached the building. He entered the front door. The door right inside the building was open as well, probably to allow access for any officers investigating the recent crime.

Sonic's way was still clear, surprising him. He headed toward the stairs and bolted up them. He had no idea what floor he was looking for so he ran up and down each one. He was just a blur, unable to be seen. Not that anyone was around to see him.

On the third floor, Sonic found the room with a door covered in bright yellow police tape. He pushed his way into the empty room. His brain registered the blood on the floor and the bullet-sized holes in the walls, but he felt nothing toward them. He really didn't care; all he wanted was Amy's letter. And, seeing as Amy hadn't said where she'd leave it, he had a long search ahead of him.

Sonic began to rip apart the apartment. He pulled drawers out of dressers and threw their contents to the floor. He pulled cushions out of the couch. He ripped apart the kitchen, leaving all sorts of food around the room. He continued until he found a folded up piece of paper in the drawer next to Kora's bed.

Satisfied, he sped out of the apartment, leaving it in disarray. Sonic had better things to do.

* * *

Tails felt his jaw drop when he walked into Kora's apartment the next day. Everything was ripped apart and thrown every which way. The General looked at Tails. "Someone tampered with this crime scene!" he growled angrily.

Tails stepped further in, shaking his head in shock. "Who could do this? The murderer?"

_The murderer wouldn't care that much to rip apart the apartment. He branded his own bullets. He doesn't care about being caught, _Tails realized. _But Sonic's been missing for days. What if he got upset over there being a second murder and he…?_

Tails shook the thought from his mind. Sonic wouldn't tamper with a crime scene.

Right?

* * *

_She knows. Kora knows she's going to die. I hope you got there in time to save her. You're so fast; I know you can do anything._

_Neither of us can figure out a connection, Kora and me. We don't know each other, and we can't figure out how we're related. I hope you can figure it out._

_Once you're done with Kora, I know of another place you need to go. Kora gave me a hint from the murderer. I folded it in with the note. I'm guessing where the place is, and I hope I'm right. Hopefully, whatever the murderer left there will help you track him down. My note won't be there, I don't think. But please go there first. I'm trying to get there too. I don't know where my next note will be, but it'll be close to home. Promise. I'll do my best to help you._

_Always,_

_Amy Rose_

Sonic closed his eyes and allowed angry tears to seep out. He could hardly believe what he had done; it hurt so much to even think it. But he had to.

_I failed you._


	10. Needing Answers

Hi! I'm back...okay so it was only about a week since my last update. But now I've got a new update! But first, I'd like to comment to some reviewers:

Destinies: Thank you for the review! I've got an update for you right here. I'm glad you like the fic!

Samantha 27: Actually, Amy doesn't know who her killer is. Amy hopes Sonic can figure out who based on what she was able to find out.

N7 and Kat: I love getting so many reviews from you guys! It's wonderful!

To all my other reviewers: Thank you! You make me feel so happy inside!

And now on with the fic!

* * *

Sonic stared at the small metal disc Amy had included with her letter. On the side was etched a location, the place where he stood now. He looked up at the building. It wasn't a place he recognized. It was meant to be some sort of clue to who the killer was, but Sonic couldn't see what the clue was supposed to mean.

Sonic walked through the front door. The floor beneath him creaked uneasily, but Sonic paid it no mind. It seemed he was in some sort of old factory. Deactivated machinery hung from the ceiling and a conveyer belt rested forever beneath a thick layer of dust.

That's when the walls caught his eyes.

Along the walls were streaks of red. It was easy to tell they were not from paint by the erratic haphazard way they were. In places it splattered; in other places it had obviously run. It was blood.

The heart within Sonic that normally would have gotten concerned felt nothing. His eyes raked along the walls without as much as a wince. He didn't care.

Sonic threw the metal disc he held in his hand to the floor. _A factory…why did you lead me to a freaking factory? _Sonic wondered hopelessly.

An ancient computer rested in the corner, and Sonic booted it up. Pictures of schematics appeared on the screen suddenly. Sonic stared, barely understanding any of the technical stuff. Instead he examined the pictures. It seemed that robots had been built here before, but they looked nothing like those Eggman would build. _Maybe the murderer made all these,_ Sonic guessed.

Sonic looked around the building, a deep hatred growing within him. The murderer…if this was his building…had made even more killing machines. Sonic gritted his teeth. No, the killer was not going to make any more.

A ring ejected from the device on Sonic's arm, and Sonic wrapped his fingers around it. He felt the power coursing through him. He pulled himself into a ball and threw himself at the walls. He broke them down within seconds. Within minutes, the building was a pile of rubble.

Sonic stared at the remnants as the power of the ring faded. He felt no remorse for his actions. He narrowed his eyes instead. _This is just the beginning,_ he thought.

And he ran.

* * *

Rouge felt her eyes go wide when her supervisor told her of the building Sonic had destroyed. "No way," she said with a smile. "He would never do that."

Shadow seemed to think differently. He glanced sideways at Rouge. "The hedgehog's cracked. Isn't that obvious?"

Rouge shrugged. "Whatever you say, Shad. But this sure doesn't seem like the Sonic _I_ know."

Her supervisor nodded. "I'd agree with you, Agent Rouge, but we have video proof. Sonic the Hedgehog did cause the vandalism"

"Shads is probably right; Sonic's cracked. He just lost Amy after all. But what do you want us to do about it?"

"The commander wants you to follow him, intercept him if possible. Don't irk the target, but find out what's going on inside his head."

Rouge smiled. "It's not going to be that simple. But I can think of a way to make things easier."

By the look on Shadow's face, Rouge knew that Shadow already knew what she was thinking. "Rouge…" he growled.

* * *

The moment Knuckles's ears caught the sound of flapping wings, he sprung up and stood directly in front of the Master Emerald. He held up his fists. No way was Rouge getting through him today.

However, when the bat landed, there was a look on her face that scared Knuckles. "What's wrong?" he asked, being careful not to move from his defensive position in case this was just a ploy.

She gave him the slightest smile. "I need your help."

Knuckles looked at her, shocked. "With what?"

"How good are you at catching hedgehogs?"


	11. Hopeless Destruction

I'm sorry about not updating sooner. This chapter was so hard for me to write...I had writer's block...plus I've been busy. So I have this now. Special thanks to Kat because without her, I would never have gotten this up today.

Knuckles picked up a piece of rubble at the scene where Rouge said Sonic had destroyed a building. "No way," Knuckles denied. "Sonic wouldn't have done this."

"Why? Wouldn't you?" Rouge said smiling. "You've always seemed violent."

Knuckles gritted his teeth. "So what? We're not talking about me right now. We're talking about Sonic. And he wouldn't have done this."

"We've got proof," Shadow replied evenly.

The building was completely destroyed, leaving nothing intact. What would have made Sonic do such a thing? "You don't know why he did it though," Knuckles pointed out.

Rouge rolled her eyes. "That's not our job. We're just supposed to find him, not find out why he did things…although I must admit I'm curious."

Knuckles noticed the look in Rouge's eye and knew that she planned to find out. "So where are we going to next?" he asked.

Rouge looked at Knuckles. "That would be why you're here, pretty boy. You're the one who tells us where he is."

"Like I would know?" Knuckles shouted. "And who are you calling pretty?"

Shadow looked exasperated. "You would know, echidna, and you're aware of that just as much as we are. Now speak up."

"I don't know!" Knuckles insisted.

Knuckles looked up at the sky and breathed out heavily, making it sound quite like a growl. Sonic was unpredictable. There was no way he would know where he would have gone.

"A guess would be great," Rouge suggested, becoming impatient.

Knuckles shot her a look before closing his eyes to think. Sonic was random; he never really had a set path in mind. He was reckless and crazy and idiotic. When he opened his eyes again, Knuckles figured it out. "We follow the path," he said.

Knuckles pointed out the path he was talking about. A path of destruction led down the street and continued on out of sight. Rouge commented, "Well, he sure isn't subtle."

* * *

Sonic paid little attention to the destruction he left in his wake. He felt rubble run against his skin as thoughts clouded his head. Amy had left no note here, and Sonic was clueless on where to go next. He felt tears running down his face although he couldn't understand why since he could feel nothing inside.

Pain spiked in his body, begging him to stop or at least slow down. But Sonic couldn't bear the thought. He needed to find the killer before another murder was performed.

Amy said that the next note would be close to home, but where? As impatience dragged him further and further away, he realized he couldn't go back home. There was no time. He had to find the killer, and he didn't have time to turn around and get the next clue. He would have to happen upon the clue after that.

Until then, nothing would stand in his way. Sonic's brain focused all its energy on fury and determination. There was no time to waste.

* * *

Shadow took the lead of the team, being the fastest and the only one with any chance of keeping up with Sonic. His hover shoes glided him just above the ground through the rubble Sonic had left in his wake.

Shadow himself failed to believe Sonic would have done such damage if he was remotely in his right mind. If there was one thing he knew about that reckless hedgehog was that he did not believe in needless destruction.

But looking around him, Shadow was sure this destruction had been needless. What had Amy truly done to Sonic…?

_Amy wore a scowl as she looked at Shadow. "You don't know anything about Sonic! He would never do something so wrong!"_

_Shadow glared at her. "He was the only one here recently."_

"_He wouldn't do anything without a good reason! I know that because I'm his girlfriend!"_

_Shadow couldn't help rolling his eyes. Amy gritted her teeth. "I know that the only reason he would have done this would be to stop Eggman! The only way!"_

_Amy acted like she knew Sonic so well, but even with his lack of a memory Shadow could understand that she didn't. But hours later when he saw Sonic facing down Dr. Eggman, Shadow began to rethink Amy's take on Sonic._

_She did know Sonic…maybe Sonic really knew her too._

Shadow shook the memory from his mind and concentrated on weaving through the rubble. Memories betrayed him. And now it seemed like Sonic's memories of Amy were betraying Sonic. Shadow and Sonic weren't so different after all.

_How far has he run? _Shadow wondered.

Everything around him appeared destroyed. That hedgehog was being more reckless than usual. It wasn't like him at all.

The image of Amy from that one memory before revisited Shadow for the second time in minutes. Something inside told him that Sonic wasn't attacking Dr. Eggman. That this was all Sonic. Remembering Amy's words, Shadow decided on his view of Sonic's current situation.

Sonic had cracked.


	12. Hunted

I love this chapter! 'Tis awesome! I say this modestly, of course (smiles). Please read and review!

* * *

Trees became merely a blur as Sonic rushed through the world. Fury and fear flowed through his veins instead of blood. His destination was nowhere. His mission, on the other hand, he knew: to find the murderer. That was the only thought that rushed through his head. That and how to find the killer: follow Amy's notes.

But seeing as Sonic didn't know where Amy's next note was hidden, he had no current destination in mind. Instead, he plowed through the world, destroying anything and everything in his way. Like a living juggernaut.

Little did he know that Shadow tracked him silently from a distance. Shadow didn't attempt to stop Sonic, knowing his orders as well as having common sense. Sonic was absolutely insane; although Shadow could take him, Sonic could just as easily cause both their deaths.

Shadow melted into the darkness of night easily, making him undetectable to Sonic. Shadow instead watched from afar as Sonic took down everything. Insistent memories of Amy echoed in Shadow's head, telling him that there was no way Sonic would do something like this.

Something was going seriously wrong in Sonic.

Shadow felt he needed to do something, but what was possible? He remembered his orders: don't irk Sonic. Of course, if Shadow breathed too close to Sonic, Sonic would probably go into a murderous rage. Interception did not seem possible without irritating Sonic.

Seeing Sonic rushing around like he was made Shadow remember another order: figure out what's going on inside Sonic's head. The only way to do that was to confront Sonic. The heck with no irritation; Shadow moved in.

Quickly matching Sonic's speed, Shadow soon rushed through the forest far enough away from Sonic for Sonic to be completely unaware of his presence. Shadow overtook the hedgehog and looped around, ready for interception.

Sonic, on the other hand, was too caught up in his own fury, to notice the approaching Shadow. And when Shadow stepped in his path, he yelled out in surprise before jumping back. "What do you want?" Sonic yelled.

Shadow could see the fury burning in Sonic's eyes. This was not the Sonic he knew, not like he knew Sonic very well in the first place. There was murder on Sonic's mind: murdering the murderer.

Shadow glared at him seriously, feeling for some reason that the way Sonic was acting was important to stop. The world could not afford an insane Sonic. "What are you doing, hedgehog?"

A piercing flash of lightning cut the night sky, followed quickly by an ear-shattering clash of thunder. Sonic's ears picked up instinctively, but his eyes remained focused on Shadow. "Get out of my way!" he demanded.

Shadow stayed still, watching Sonic carefully. "You are out of control!"

Sonic gritted his teeth. "Get out. Of my way. Now!"

"You're in a frenzy!" Shadow shouted. He needed to stop Sonic. People were going to get hurt. Their hero was going to hurt those he had struggled to protect. But the murderer was changing the hero into something no one would have expected.

"Get out! I need to stop the killer! I'm not going to wait any longer."

Rain fell from the sky suddenly, instantly soaking the two hedgehogs in the middle of a stare down. Their glares were not affected by the storm. Sonic was intent on stopping a killer; Shadow was intent on stopping a killer-to-be.

And neither of them had any intent on stopping their mission.

Sonic bolted forward, fist drawn back. Shadow noticed the reckless anger and jumped easily into the air to avoid the attack. "Chaos spear!" Shadow cried, gathering a yellow electricity in his hand.

Shadow threw down his arm, and the Chaos targeted Sonic. Sonic dived out of the way as Shadow began preparing to strike again. Sonic jumped up and propelled himself toward Shadow. Before Shadow could gather enough energy for a second strike, Sonic plowed into him. The pain of his head hitting the ground echoed through Shadow almost immediately. A light flashed in front of his eyes briefly before Shadow's sight snapped back into focus.

With a growl, Shadow pushed Sonic off of him then pounded Sonic in the face with his fist. Sonic's head cracked back but he recovered quickly. Blood flowed slowly from the corner of Sonic's mouth. Sonic didn't appear to notice at all.

Shadow gathered more energy from the air, and Sonic began running furiously toward Shadow once more. But Shadow expected it. He instantly cancelled Chaos Spear and pounded his fist into Sonic's stomach.

Sonic gasped desperately for air, all the while keeping his eyes on Shadow. The same fury burned in his eyes, but so did the pain and his desperation. Shadow said nothing, just watching Sonic carefully. He saw the perfect opening for an attack, but he believed G.U.N. wanted Sonic alive.

As soon as Sonic's breath came back, his eyes flickered left. Shadow realized his mistake a moment to late; he had left the path open for Sonic's escape. And Sonic took it.

Shadow was tempted to follow while Sonic was weakened, but as he began his pursuit, he felt a rough hand on his arm holding him back. Shadow turned to see Knuckles grabbing his arm. "I'm busy, echidna," Shadow hissed.

Rouge appeared from the trees. "Hey, I agree with him on this."

"Let him go," Knuckles said. "Let him think it through."

"We don't have time for thought," Shadow growled. "He plans to kill and has no intention on stopping those plans."

"Are you sure you're not mixing him up with yourself?" Knuckles demanded.

Shadow gathered Chaos energy in his fist, ready to pound the echidna. "Shadow," Rouge said rolling her eyes, "you're becoming more temperamental than Sonic or Knuckles."

Shadow glared at her a moment before allowing himself to cancel Chaos Spear. "Why am I stopping? This is the perfect opportunity to take him."

Rouge signaled the battle scene, and Shadow turned to look. Blood joined water in puddles, and blood ran with water on the muddy path. "And this," Rouge said, touching the back of Shadow's head.

When she brought her hand away, Shadow saw a deep red staining her white glove. Astonished, Shadow reached back and touched. He felt the warm liquid staining his own glove. "He…injured me?"

"Um…yeah," Knuckles said, like Shadow was stupid for asking a question such as that.

"And it's not stopping," Rouge pointed out, a look of very slight concern formed on her face.

"It will," Shadow muttered.

"So wait…Sonic was partially responsible for this?" Knuckles asked.

"Obviously," Shadow growled.

"Think we should report this?" Rouge asked.

Knuckles said, "We can't afford to lose track of Sonic. Who knows when we'll be able to find him again?"

"He's completely unpredictable. His fighting style is much different, much more offensive," Shadow explained.

"Listen, how about I go back and leave you boys to keep following him? I'll meet up with you later," Rouge suggested.

Knuckles and Shadow glanced at each other before looking back at Rouge with expressions that asked, 'Are you freaking crazy?'

Rouge smiled. "C'mon, boys, you can get along for three hours without me having to break up a fight, can't you?"

Neither of them wanted to appear weak and said nothing. Although beneath closed lips, Shadow gritted his teeth. He saw Knuckles clenching and unclenching his fists. Yeah, this was going to work _great. _

Rouge winked. "Good."

Rouge leaped into the sky and flapped down hard with her wings. Within seconds, she was gone. Knuckles still stared where she'd been standing moments ago. "She's going to get struck by lightning," he mentioned, his brows coming together.

Shadow didn't say anything concerning Rouge. He was too busy thinking of the trail they were losing. "We need to catch that hedgehog."

Knuckles turned to Shadow. "We need a break."

"You know as well as I do how long that hedgehog can go on running. In the fury he's in now, he will run even longer," Shadow said.

Knuckles looked like he understood. He muttered something that sounded, "See what I can do."

Shadow bolted off on the trail again. He felt behind his head, and his glove still became stained with the dark blood. _This is only the beginning of his insanity, _Shadow realized, feeling fear drop in the pit of his stomach. _If he is not stopped soon, all hope will be abandoned._

The rain soaked Shadow's fur and washed the blood away. But Shadow knew Sonic's insanity would not be washed away so easily.


	13. Unspoken Truth

I am so sorry it took so long to get this update up, but I have it here now. I hope you'll consider it worth the wait. Please read and review!

* * *

Tails stared down at the two trays of bullets in front of him, one tray for each crime scene. All the bullets looked exactly the same across both cases. The cases _were _connected.

The General stood next to Tails. "What do we have here?"

"The bullets are the same," Tails said, looking up. "And considering how they're branded so personally, that would mean the same person killed both Kora and Amy. Probably."

"Probably?"

Tails looked back down at the bullets, rolling them with a silver pair of tongs. "Well it could be two different people working for someone. So this symbol could be the sign of a team."

"So we could have a whole murdering _team _on the loose?"

Tails sighed. "It's possible."

"That's just great," the General muttered sarcastically.

The door opened, and an agent walked in. "General, we have some information you may be interested in."

The General turned away from Tails and followed the agent out of the room. Tails put the tongs down and stepped away from the trays. He swallowed hard. He still hated being left alone in this room. It felt so cold…just like Amy's body was where it lay within the room.

Tails sat down slowly, finding himself too unsteady to stand. The room was too empty, and not only because he was the only living thing in there. Because everything was too empty. When Amy had died, Sonic sort of…he sort of died too. He had cut off from everyone. Tails didn't have the first idea where he was.

The only person Tails still had contact with was Cream, but he didn't want to tell her exactly what was going on. She was only six years old. He didn't want to confuse and worry her. She should remain innocent and naïve and young. That's who she was supposed to be right now.

But Tails was only eight himself. He was still a child. He should be innocent and naïve and young too, but for some reason he wasn't. For some reason, he took it upon himself to solve problems that shouldn't have shaken his short-sighted view of the world in the first place.

Maybe _that _was the problem. His view of the world wasn't _short-sighted. _He knew too much to be so naïve. He'd grown up so fast. And only now did he realize that he wished he had remained young, left the fighting to everyone else.

Amy should have done that too. Amy wasn't even a teen…would never be a teen. She shouldn't have gotten herself involved in the problems of the world.

And then she would have still been alive.

The door opened, and Tails was surprised to see who walked in. Rouge. "Rouge?" Tails said, his voice sounding soft and strained.

Rouge spotted Tails. "What are you doing here, honey?"

Tails stood up, coaxing his legs to stand strong rather than shake. "I'm trying to figure out who killed Amy."

The words sounded weird coming from his mouth. Amy _was _dead. He just admitted it himself. Tails tried to distract himself. "What are you doing here, Rouge?"

"Looking for the General. I'm supposed to report my news to him," Rouge explained.

Tails decided not to ask what news Rouge had. He probably didn't want to know anyway. "He just left, but he'll probably be back soon. We were talking about something before. The connection in the murders of Amy and Kora Neils."

"There's a relation? So what, Eggman's feeling murderous or something?"

Tails shook his head and motioned her over to the trays of bullets. "No way Eggman would do something like this. It's not his style. But we do think whoever killed the two girls was the same person."

Tails picked up a bullet with the tongs. "Every bullet was branded with this weird symbol. I've never seen it before, but it's the same on every bullet."

"Weird. So you have no idea who would have killed Amy? After all, you probably know every enemy she has. You were like her co-protector."

Tails nodded slowly. The way Rouge said that, it felt like he was responsible the killer got to Amy. Tails doubted she meant it that way though. "No, we don't know. Eggman hates us, but he doesn't kill. That's really the main enemy. Unless there's something I don't know about. But even then, why would he—or she—have also killed Kora Neils?"

"Yeah, that doesn't really make sense."

Rouge stared down at the bullets appearing to be deep in thought. Tails looked at Rouge. He knew he would regret asking this question later, but he needed to know. "Have you seen Sonic lately?"

"Honey, you really don't want to know."

"What? Why? What's going on?" Tails asked feeling suddenly worried.

"He's not himself. Really not himself. Amy's death messed him up pretty bad."

Tails looked at her, expecting more, but Rouge said nothing else. The door opened, and Tails and Rouge looked over. The General stood in the doorway, his features carefully emotionless. "Agent Rouge, I didn't expect to see you here," the General said slowly.

"Something wrong?" Rouge asked.

"No, I'm interested in your report," the General said.

"You know what I mean."

Tails felt his heart beating furiously. "Was there another murder?"

The General shook his head. "No, but we did get more information. A witness came forward from Amy's murder."

"What did they say?" Tails asked nervously.

"We know who the murderer is."

Tails probably could have dropped to the ground right then, but he wanted to know who the murderer was. Even the General seemed hesitant to tell them, which wasn't a good sign. "Spit it out," Rouge urged.

Tails could feel the tension in the air as he stared at the General. What? Who killed Amy? The General took a deep breath.

"The murderer is Sonic the Hedgehog."


	14. All We've Ever Known

I am so bad at updating. Sorry about that. I hope you enjoy this. And review!

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The conference room was decorated in such a way that it seemed very official. Probably because it _was _very official. Navy blue wall hangings decorated the room and a walnut, u-shaped table took up most of the room. There were about forty chairs set up around the table, but very few of them were occupied. One of those that were occupied was occupied by Tails. His legs were curled beneath him, his twin tails surrounded him. His fur was wet with tears, but he seemed frozen.

Beside him was Rouge, doing nothing for Tails but instead staring up at the ceiling. Her face was impossible for Tails to read. Did she even care about the news that they'd just heard?

How could _Sonic _have killed _Amy_? It didn't make any sense. They were friends, Amy wanting to be more than just that. Sonic wouldn't kill _anyone, _much less Amy. This was impossible. But Tails had heard the news from the General with his own ears. A witness from Amy's murder had said it was Sonic. So it must be true. But it couldn't be.

Other agents sat around the table, completely unaware of the reason why they were in the conference room. Tails wished he could be like them, innocent of the harsh truth. It was too late to undo the words however.

The General walked in the room carrying a folder, and the soldiers inside saluted him. Tails made no move to his feet. The only reason Tails could tell Rouge noticed the General's entrance was because her ears perked up. She didn't actually need to look, considering she was a bat so her hearing was much better than Tails's.

The General motioned for the soldiers to take a seat, before sitting down himself at the curve of the table. "I have some very important information to share today, and this is to take top priority on every soldier's agenda. Is that clear?"

The soldiers, in unison, said, "Sir, yes, sir!"

Tails stared frozenly at the General. Rouge crossed her arms, looking at the General with an almost uninterested expression. The General glanced at the two of him for a brief moment before continuing on. "We have a suspect in the murders of Amy Rose and Kora Neils. The suspect is Sonic the Hedgehog. I presume you all know who I'm talking about."

No one said anything to make the General rethink his last statement. "We must capture him and bring him in for questioning—"

The General cut off when Rouge raised her hand. "What is it, Agent Rouge?"

Rouge lowered her hand. "You might want to rethink that plan. Capturing Sonic is not something that's easily done."

"I'm aware of that," the General said coldly.

"Rouge is right," Tails spoke up. "Sonic won't be caught if he doesn't want to be caught. He's too fast."

"We have Shadow, do we not?" the General said.

Tails could easily tell that he and Rouge were not on the General's good side right now. Rouge said, "We have him, but that doesn't change a thing. Part of what I wanted to tell you was that we just ran into Sonic, and Shadow couldn't manage to take him out quickly. Sonic saw an opening and actually escaped."

The General's eyebrows rose. "What are you saying?"

"I'm saying that on a good day there'd be a major fight between Sonic and Shadow and the outcome would be unpredictable. With Sonic also messed up by Amy's death, he's more violent than usual," Rogue explained.

The General scoffed. "Messed up by Amy's death? He's the one who killed her!"

"That's impossible," Tails muttered. "He would never kill Amy."

Rouge nodded. "I've got to say, this doesn't sound like Sonic at all. What exactly did this witness say? That it was Sonic? Or that it _might_ be Sonic?"

The General glared at Rouge. It seemed like he was debating whether or not to tell Rouge, whether Rouge even deserved to know. Finally, he said, "The witness claimed it was Sonic. The witness explained that the figure was cloaked and carrying a gun, but moved more quickly than other creatures. The witness also caught a flash of blue under the cloak."

"It does sound a lot like Sonic," Tails whispered.

Beside him, Rouge still looked skeptical, but said nothing more. Tails wished he could feel skeptical too, but was there any way that it couldn't be Sonic? No one moved faster than Sonic; the only person who could compete with him was Shadow. But Shadow was not blue. Sonic had that. There was no one else it could be.

"Anyway, Sonic the Hedgehog must be captured and this must be first priority. Sonic the Hedgehog is quick and dangerous, especially with murder in his plans," the General continued.

The General looked at Rouge. "Agent Rouge's team will continue to track him and call us in when the time is right. Is that understood, Rouge?"

"Yeah," Rouge replied, sounding bored.

"Otherwise, we are spreading out across the planet and preparing to capture him if he passes."

"Not the whole planet," Tails said softly.

"What?"

Tails looked up at the General. "Sonic hates water. He can't swim. Any place surrounded by water he can't get to."

The General nodded. "Right. Of course. Islands and several continents are knocked off of where we need to spread out to. Mr. Prower will be part of the team following Agent Rouge's, as will several other soldiers. This team will be a capture team. This is to begin _immediately. _Is this understood?"

"Sir, yes, sir," said the soldiers jumping to their feet.

"Move out."

The General and the soldiers left the room, leaving Rouge and Tails behind. Rouge stood up and walked over to the General's seat. "He left a folder behind," Rouge said, picking up the manila folder and flipping through it.

It took Tails a moment to find his voice. "Rouge?"

"What is it, Tails?"

"Is there…any way that…it couldn't be…Sonic?" Tails asked.

Rouge continued to flip through the folder. "There is the fact that Sonic doesn't own a gun."

Tails's heart jumped. He had completely forgotten that fact. "And he probably wouldn't have branded his own bullets or anything like that!"

Tails looked down again. "But…then again…what if he's the one who tampered with Kora Neils's crime scene? Maybe he didn't want anyone finding out that he was the real killer."

Rouge shrugged. "It's possible we didn't know Sonic as well as we thought. Or maybe he just went crazy. Like the battles with Eggman finally made him crack."

Tails stood up slowly. "None of the pieces are fitting," he said sadly. "None of this is making any sense. I've known Sonic since I was little, and I never thought that he would ever do anything like this…."

Rouge closed the folder, but kept it under her arm. Tails walked around to the General's seat at the table. "But…it seems like Sonic. The witness was accurate," Tails said feeling defeated.

Rouge smiled. "Well, we can't know until we catch Sonic. Should give Shadow and Knuckie something to do."

Tails pulled on one of his twin tails nervously. How could Rouge be so calm about the whole thing? It felt like Tails's entire world was collapsing. Like everything he had always known was a lie.

"Time to do this," Rouge said, and Tails followed her out the door.


	15. Watch Your Back

Wow, this took a lot longer than I wanted it to. I'm so, so sorry for not updating sooner. I hope this all makes it worth it. Read and review! Please?

* * *

The icy early morning air stung Sonic's eyes, making tears run steadily down his face. Running toward the sun didn't help his vision either. But Sonic paid no mind to his trials. They were nothing compared to his mission.

Right now, Sonic had no instruction. Amy never told Sonic where her next letter would be, other than "close to home." But seeing as he was running in the opposite direction, Sonic decided to skip that note and pray that he could find the next.

The world around him seemed silent, save for the rushing wind. Sonic was running through a green field. Nothing was nearby except for grass. It scratched Sonic's legs despite his fur. But Sonic failed to notice; everything within him was numb.

Along the horizon, a town materialized. It came up quickly at Sonic's speed, so quickly that there was no point to go around it. But seconds after his feet landed on the cracked pavement, someone yelled, "Hey! Sonic!"

Sonic skidded to a halt, surprised. His eyes searched for the source of the voice, and caught a dog standing in a doorway, staring at the blue hedgehog. "You Sonic?" he asked.

Sonic made his way over hesitantly, not really wanting to come into contact with anyone in his rush to find a note. Who was this guy anyway? Sonic didn't recognize him. "Yeah."

The dog held out a folded piece of paper. "You have a girlfriend, right? Named Amy Rose?"

Sonic's heart skipped a beat. He snatched the paper. "Why was Amy here?" Sonic demanded.

The dog shrugged. "She was looking for my sister. But…my sister was found dead a couple of days before Amy showed up. But Amy just handed me this paper and told me it was for her boyfriend Sonic."

_How many dead people did Amy look for? _Sonic thought before unfolding the paper.

"Dude," the dog interrupted, "what's going on? How did Amy know my sister? And why'd she give me that paper?"

Sonic shook his head and began to walk away. The dog called after him, "Seriously, Sonic. I deserve to know what's going on."

Sonic glanced back at him. "Trust me; you don't want to know."

The dog protested, but Sonic ignored him. There was no way Sonic could tell anything to that dog. If he did…the murderer would probably kill the guy. And Sonic was not going to let any more innocent blood be spilled.

Sonic waited until he turned a corner before he unfolded the note. Sonic was thankful he'd found one of Amy's notes without a clue.

_Thanks for following my notes so far. I always knew I could believe in you._

_Things are getting pretty serious. I guess you already know, since you found the letter at Cream's house, that the murderer has not left me alone. He's following me around. I wish I could have told you, but then you would have been killed just like me. And I don't know how many people have died already or have yet to die. And I can't do anything. Do you know what that feels like…never mind. I guess you do._

_The murderer is finding this fun. I know this because he keeps giving me hints. I just hope he doesn't know about these notes. He just told me he has a hit list. Which scares me. He gave me a clue on where it is, but I want to give you one more letter before you go after the list. It's far from here, but with your speed, it'll take you no time at all._

_Do you remember Never Lake? Where the Little Planet passes? I'll mark a boulder or something where so you can find the note._

_I'm scared, Sonic. I really, really am. I'm not going to lie. And I miss you already._

_Always,_

_Amy Rose_

Sonic held the note to his heart and let himself collapse against a nearby wall. His head fell back as he closed his eyes. He opened them again to stare up at the sky. He was so close…so, so close. But as he read Amy's letter, the memories had come crashing back, destroying the one thing in their path: him.

Never Lake…where he'd first met Amy. Of course he would end up going full circle. The beginning connects to the end. That only made things harder, but Sonic couldn't do anything about it.

And that's when the blast came.

An explosion out of no where erupted in the building behind him. Sonic cried out as he was blown away by the blast. He forced his body to turn back at the building in the air and saw helicopters hovering in the air. The true shock rushed through him; they belonged to G.U.N. _What the heck? _he thought.

Sonic hit the ground hard a street over. He quickly jumped to his feet, and his green eyes glanced back up at the sky. _The helicopters were gliding over to his position. _Sonic's eyes widened and his heart skipped a beat. "What's going on!?" he shouted, but the sound of his voice was lost to the passengers of the craft.

A missile erupted out of a cannon a soldier carried within one of the helicopters. Sonic leaped back, and the missile collided with the ground. A massive explosion erupted in the middle of the street. The smoke blew toward Sonic, and he choked on the dust and debris. His eyes watering furiously, he tried to look through the dense cloud to find the position of his attackers. Unable to see anything, Sonic dashed out of the smoke. Right outside the smoke was a large vehicle, labeled G.U.N. on the side. _What did I do wrong? _he wondered.

The doors of the vehicle flew open and soldiers poured out, guns at the ready. "Surrender now, Sonic the Hedgehog," a voice demanded.

"What, you confuse me with Shadow again?" Sonic muttered under his breath. He didn't have time for this.

Sonic ignored them, leaping into the air toward a fairly low building. He landed on the roof and quickly sped up. He passed the vehicle's space on the road easily and jumped back to the ground. Bullets rang out, causing the ground at Sonic's feet to erupt in pebble. Then, one bullet flew just past his head. _They're firing to kill! _Sonic realized, horrified. He quickened his pace, but couldn't help but glance back one time.

He really regretted that.

What Sonic saw almost stopped him in his tracks, but then a bullet narrowly missing him once more kept him moving. As he dashed away, his heart thudded in his chest. Even air came in difficult, choking breaths. Sonic shook his head, completely at a loss. G.U.N. trying to kill him? He could manage. But the other thing…

How could Tails be siding with the people trying to kill him?


	16. Conflicting Goals

I'm sorry for how long this took to update. It took a while, I know. But I've got the update now!

* * *

Shadow and Knuckles trailed Sonic, staying far enough away that he wouldn't hear their pursuit. The battle that had just gone down confused both of them; they thought attacking was out of the question. So why was G.U.N. disobeying orders they had given in the first place? "It seems like the terms have changed," Shadow murmured.

"So what's the plan, Shadow? Wait for Rouge or attack now?" Knuckles said, glancing sideways.

Shadow shook his head. "Wait it out. I want to see where this hedgehog is heading…."

Sonic had been running in the same direction for a while now, and it seemed he had a destination in mind. But as of right now, they had no clues to what that destination might be. Other than maybe the killer's location.

Shadow looked at Knuckles. He would have thought the echidna would be exhausted after hours of running at this speed, but a look of dedicated determination remained on his face without even a sign of sweat. Maybe Knuckles deserved more credit than Shadow had ever thought to give him. Knuckles's friend was being destroyed by the anger within himself, and Knuckles seemed to be willing to do anything to save him. Even at speeds where they had to keep up with the insane supersonic hedgehog.

Shadow heard a sound behind them and glanced back. Rouge quickly glided through the trees that they had just run through so she could catch up to her team. "About time," Shadow muttered.

Rouge's expression did not change which surprised Shadow. No come back, no exasperation, no anything. Just stony neutrality. What was going on? Knuckles asked, "What did they say?"

Rouge slipped in between the two, speeding through the air as they made their way on the ground. "We have permission to attack and capture," she said evenly.

"What?" Knuckles said, surprised. "What changed?"

Shadow tried to read Rouge's face. Something was off. The two of them had been partners in G.U.N. too long for him not to notice. She was being much too quiet, much too neutral. "Rouge, what did Sonic do?"

"He killed her," Rouge said plainly.

"Huh?" Knuckles blinked twice.

"Sonic killed Amy. He's not searching for the murderer; he is the murderer."

Even Shadow had to struggle to mask his surprise. Sonic was the murderer? But then none of any of this made any sense. Shadow thought of Amy and what Sonic meant to her, what she must have meant to him.

She meant something to him, correct? He always came to her rescue, dealt with her daily. That meant something, did it not? Or did Shadow have it wrong? But even then, Sonic would never have killed someone. It was not in his nature.

Unless Amy had suddenly become some sort of villain, and no one had ever realized, with the exception of Sonic. Maybe she had betrayed them all a long time ago, and Sonic had only been trying to stop her.

Or what if it _was _in Sonic's nature, but he had been hiding it all along? Maybe he really was a murderous hedgehog masquerading as a heroic do-gooder.

Any and all options flew into Shadow's mind like an army's onslaught. There had to be one reason where everything fit. If Sonic was a murderer, there had to be a reason. Unless he was not a killer at all. But it was not Shadow's job to decide; it was his job to act for G.U.N. It was the one reason he had allowed Rouge to force him into this job: he did not have to think about right and wrong.

Knuckles just stared at Rouge, almost frozen in his shock. "…no…he wouldn't do that. He's not like that."

Rouge stared straight ahead, seemingly unable to meet any eyes. "I know, honey; I don't get it either. They had a witness, but I don't believe it for a second. Either way…we need to know for sure." Rouge paused. "Or else Tails may never trust him again."

"You told Tails?"

Rouge glared at Knuckles hard, actually making Knuckles wince. "He was there when the info came out. He's just a kid, and now he thinks his hero is really the villain. I don't know what to tell him, but we have orders to follow right now."

"And those are…?" Shadow said, raising an eyebrow.

Rouge glanced at him, and Shadow saw the pain in her eyes. That shocked him; Rouge was stronger than this. "To render him helpless so G.U.N. can capture him."

Shadow returned his gaze to the world in front of him. He said nothing in response to Rouge's directions. Instead, without warning, he rushed ahead of his partners to pursue the blue renegade. While still at a distance, it seemed Sonic had heard Shadow's approach. He sent a glance over his shoulder, and Shadow caught a look at Sonic's wide eyes. Fear? He deserved it for what he had done. That is, if he had done it. There was no time for uncertainty now. For now, Sonic was guilty. Shadow sped up, urging longer strides out of his legs, quicker movements from his feet. "Chaos Spear," Shadow said, just quiet enough that Sonic could not hear it over the rush of the wind in his ears.

The yellow light burst from Shadow's palm and struck Sonic in the back. With a strained cry, Sonic was sent airborne several yards before his journey ended with his face down in the dirt. But he quickly stood once again, sending his fearful eyes toward Shadow. This fear was something beyond Shadow; no look like this had ever been on Sonic's face before.

But he did not do what Shadow expected. Instead, Sonic began his dash in the same direction once more. Shadow burst off after him without a second thought. He performed the same attack again, but Sonic felt it coming and quickly drew himself into a somersault to dash forward. Shadow's attack struck the ground harmlessly.

As Sonic uncurled himself to resume regular running form, Shadow's eye caught a glimmer in Sonic's hand. _The Chaos Emerald. _Shadow threw himself forward, knowing perfectly well Sonic's intentions. He slammed into the back of the escapee, throwing him to the ground. "Get off, Shadow," Sonic growled. But within the growl was an aching whine. A plea.

Shadow said nothing, although shocked by Sonic's desperation. Knuckles and Rouge would catch up soon enough, and Sonic would be brought into G.U.N. custody.

And then Sonic kicked Shadow in the stomach with the leg Shadow had neglected to hold down. Shadow doubled over, and Sonic managed to slip away. Shadow shook his head, struggling to get to his feet after such an unexpected attack. As he opened his eyes that had automatically closed upon the strike of the attack, he found himself staring at the green Chaos Emerald lying abandoned on the ground. Shadow's fingers wrapped around it, his mouth already muttering, "Chaos Control."

Light enveloped him, sending him through time and space in the time of a blink. The next thing Shadow knew, he stood in front of Sonic the Hedgehog. "What?" Sonic cried, trying to skid to a stop.

Shadow threw out his fist, landing a blow in Sonic's stomach. Now it was Sonic's turn to double over in a fight for oxygen. But he had no time for recovery as Shadow swung his foot to strike Sonic in the side. Sonic was thrown from his feet and sent flying.

Rouge was gliding up in the distance with Knuckles running in pace with her. Shadow took a few steps toward the place Sonic laid on the ground. He stood over him, a shadow being cast over Sonic's blue fur as Sonic tried to recover from the attacks that had sent him into the dirt. Sonic's eyes stared up at Shadow, still wide, but less with fear now. Instead, desperation shone in those irises. His breathing came in wheezes, and words could not find their way to his mouth immediately. Shadow said, "We're done here."

No cocky smile, no attitude. Just four words he managed to gasp: "I'm not done yet."

Shadow didn't move, waiting to see if Sonic got to his feet. Even if he did, Shadow was not afraid. He tightened his grip on the Chaos Emerald in his hand.

Sonic breathed heavily on the ground, clutching his side. He stared up at Shadow with resolution. A ring ejected from a weird device around Sonic's arm, and the hedgehog snatched it to hold tightly in his hand. _What? _Shadow wondered before realizing this should go no farther.

He took a step closer to Sonic, but it was too late. Sonic spun quickly and dashed straight as Shadow. The impact sent Shadow flying backward, and when gravity brought him back down, he hit the ground hard. But he was only down a second before he jumped up again. However, as he regained his ground, he saw Knuckles throwing a punch at Sonic's face. "Traitor!" the echidna screamed with no doubt left in him. Why? Shadow had no idea except the knowledge that Knuckles could be gullible.

But he had been so doubtful of Sonic's treachery before. Things must have changed in those few minutes. Knuckles wanted to know, and until he did, he would do everything he could to stop Sonic, for the sake of taking precautions.

Sonic took a flying stride back to avoid the punch. "What are you talking about?" Sonic yelled. "I have to go, NOW!"

His speed was at a much higher level with that glowing ring in his hand, but that did not stop Knuckles for one instant. He just threw another punch. And another. And another. He left no room for explanation; it was as though he believed Sonic did not deserve to explain himself, as though it was already too late.

"I don't have time for this!" Sonic said, trying to reason with him. "I have to go!"

Knuckles kept going…and going…and going. Fury burned too deep; his mind was too far gone for compromising. Nothing would stop him. Shadow did not even bother getting involved anymore.

And then, when Knuckles was in the middle of another punch through the air in front of Sonic's face, Sonic turned and with a burst of speed, fled.

The Chaos Emerald glowed brightly as Shadow prepared to send himself to Sonic's speeding position. That is, until Rouge grabbed Shadow's arm. "What?" he spat, turning on her.

"He's going somewhere, and I want to know where. It could be…interesting…"

Knuckles, though yards away, yelled, "This is not the time for INTERESTING! Sonic needs to be STOPPED, NOW!"

Rouge shook her head as she let go of Shadow's arm, and Shadow himself was surprised by how quickly Rouge had reverted to her usual character after the realization that Sonic was a murderer. "Well G.U.N. is going to have to wait. Anyway, who knows? G.U.N. might be wrong."

Shadow shook his head. "There's no time for that." The Emerald glowed brightly, still ready for use. "Chaos Control!"

Shadow sent himself to Sonic's most probable location, but a quick scan found that the blur was no where in sight. He sent himself toward another possible location without any more success. Shadow tightened his fist and gritted his teeth, before sending himself back to the location of Rouge and Knuckles. "He's gone," Shadow reported. "We may have lost our chance, Rogue, due to your curiosity."

Rouge shrugged. Knuckles was not at all satisfied with this reaction. He took a step toward her. "He already killed Amy! Who knows what he's going to do next?"

"He's your best friend; do you really believe that?"

Knuckles blinked, his jaw dropping. "What?"

"I do," Shadow muttered.

Rouge rolled her eyes. "Listen, Knuckles. Would Sonic really kill anyone? Did you ever think someone might have set him up?"

That thought had never even crossed Shadow's mind and, judging by the look on Knuckles's face, neither had he. "A trap?" The anger returned to Knuckles's face, but the fury had a new source. "Someone set it up!"

Shadow shrugged. "So we let him go then? When he could still be the killer?"

Rouge frowned. "Now, I never said that we'd let him go. We still have to get him to G.U.N. But—" Her smile returned. "—it doesn't mean we can't cut him a little slack."


	17. Not Like We Once Remembered

I am _so_ sorry that I have not updated for a year now. It took me a while to get the right encouragement to get down to writing this. But I am glad I waited because this chapter turned out better than it would have if I had written it a year ago.

Thank you _so_ much for waiting, and I hope you find this worth waiting for. Please read and review!

* * *

The Little Planet. He could still remember the tiny beautiful world that passed over the crystal clear Never Lake. He could still remember how Eggman had made the Little Planet his newest fortress, forcing Sonic to speed through to race a robot called Metal Sonic in order to save Amy Rose for the very first time. The lake, the mountains, the flowers, the sky, Sonic knew they would all reflect the girl he missed.

It would make sense, going back to that place that held such an important memory of the two of them together.

Sonic's heart burned. It seemed the entire world was against Sonic finding the murderer. His head rang and back throbbed after the heavy impacts of his latest fight. Shadow he expected this from, no matter the circumstances. But Knuckles…. As temperamental as he was, him yelling, "You traitor!" and proceeding to attempt to pummel his old friend to death was not normal.

The image of Tails's young face, looking frightened and hopeless, fur wet with tears, burned painfully in Sonic's mind worst of all. What was going on? Suddenly, everyone he trusted and cared about were giving their best efforts to see him killed. Sonic only longed to find the letters Amy left behind, and G.U.N. couldn't know about that, nor was it any reason to kill him.

His mind reeled. It hurt, struggling not to lose focus from his mission to find those letters. Luckily, his legs dragged him along and his feet knew exactly where to go. He remembered the fun he had enjoyed coming to this place the last time. The only other time he had ever been there, actually. Running across the rocky terrain, reaching out hands to preform crazy acrobatics to stop himself from smashing his face into a sharp boulder; it had been the ride of a life time. Breathtaking.

Sonic emerged from the last thick forest and into a huge clearing. To most anyone, it had to be the most beautiful place in the world. Lush green grass waved gently in the calm wind and intermixed yellow flowers lazily glowed with the warmth of the sun. In comparison to the wide open field, the lake at the center of the clearing was very small. The water inside was crystal clear and only four feet deep, which left a clear view straight to the flat bottom. Around it stood giant rock structures that could only be described as looking like sandy-colored stalagmites. In the distance towered beautiful gold mountains. However, Sonic's awe lacked any real joy.

It looked too different from when he had been there with Amy.

Eggman messing with the Little Planet had left patches of grass missing and rocky structures dangerously crumbling. At that time, Sonic had felt the absolute thrill of the danger, the adventure, as well as the joy that came along with all of it. Now, he simply missed what this place had meant to Amy and him together.

Sonic slowed to a halt beside the beautiful lake. Staring at it, the turmoil and chaos rampaging inside him that had tormented him since that day in Amy's apartment faded into a dim burn. Instead, his entire body ached with grief. His heart dropped in his chest and beat slower than it ever had before. His arms hung at his sides, void of all feeling. He remembered leaping down from the Little Planet, a much younger Amy Rose in his arms. Her face, though slightly green from Sonic's immense speed, nonetheless lit up with a smile when Sonic met her eyes. Sonic's eyes burned at the memory. He felt Amy's body close to his chest and safe in his arms. What he wouldn't give to live that moment one more time….

Although his body wilted with grief and memories, Sonic forced himself to remember why he was there: Amy's note, hidden at a marked boulder. Sonic turned away from the lake and glanced around. Plenty of boulders rested at the bottom of each stalagmite-rock, and Sonic dashed around checking each one for some semblance of a marking. But nothing stood out. Sonic's heart felt heavy as he stared up at the sky, a desperate prayer begging for God's help burning in his heart. As his eyes fell down the stalagmites, they registered a shape on top of one of the shorter, thicker spires. A boulder out of reach from any common traveller. Was that it?

Amy knew Sonic well enough to know he could get up there with ease. Little doubt of this being the right boulder remained in Sonic's mind, and he sped up the spire of rock in seconds. He stood on the level summit of the rock, and his eyes scanned the single boulder resting there. At Sonic's eye level was a heart engraved clumsily into the boulder. Sonic's hands clutched at the stone as if it were a life preserver. Here waited another letter from the only girl he cared about enough to keep that concern and love secret. And somehow, she must have known he cared if she had left these notes for him. Sonic's heart pounded at the thought as he pulled the boulder back. Beneath the mass was a piece of paper folded into a tiny square. Sonic grabbed it between his numb fingers and hastily unfolded it. Not sure he was ready for the letter that would bring Sonic and Amy's friendship full circle in this place that they had first met, Sonic forced his eyes down to read her words. At the first sentence, his stomach dropped:

_SONIC! THIS IS AN EMERGENCY!_

_This is my final letter, and I'm sorry. I now know I will die tomorrow, but there's nothing that can be done for me now. Now there's someone else who needs saving._

_I thought by taking down all the pictures in my apartment I would protect you all from the murderer because he wouldn't be able to find out who my friends were. He already sounded like you, Sonic, and I was scared about him finding out more about me. But he did, and I can't stop him. Sonic, I found the hit list. And there's a name other than mine on the list. TAILS! TAILS IS NEXT! You have to save him, Sonic! YOU HAVE TO!_

_He doesn't know about the murderer so he won't see it coming. I can't tell him in time. He's off on another adventure with you and by the time he gets back, I'll be dead. _

_On top of that, I think I may have found the killer's base. It's north of here in the Labyrinth District. The hit list is there and so is the killer. But saving Tails is the most important thing, and I know you know that. _

_Sonic, I know I never told you what was going to happen to me until these notes. With the notes I knew the killer couldn't find out I was telling you. I know you're wondering why you couldn't save me and why you had to wait until after I was gone to fight. To be honest, I was scared to tell you, Sonic. I left the notes, not sure if I was going to tell you how to find them. This thing isn't Eggman, and I was scared this monster would kill you without question if you found out about him. When I wrote that letter and packed that box in my apartment yesterday, I knew I could get rid of it if I decided it was too dangerous for you. But now that Tails is next…. _

_If I could see you in time, I'm still not sure if I'd tell you everything. The notes are so much safer, and you may never find the box in my apartment so that would make you even safer. I love you, Sonic, and I could never let myself be the reason you died._

_But now Tails is involved and me not telling you means he'll die too, and I'll be the reason he did. You have to save him. I'm brave enough to die now but not brave enough to let someone else die. I think that's the same way you are. YOU HAVE TO SAVE TAILS._

_My next stop is the bank where this killer will…kill me. I will never see you again. But I can still at least remember how you saved me here at Never Lake. Even though you can't save me this time, you still have to be the hero, okay? And Sonic, know I will always love you._

_-Amy Rose_

Sonic couldn't do anything for a few moments but stare at the letter. Tails was next…Tails was next…TAILS WAS NEXT!

Out of nowhere, a heavy body collided with Sonic. Caught off balance, Sonic tumbled over the edge and gravity pulled him down toward the ground. _NO!_ he mentally screamed, his grip on Amy's final letter tightening and crumpling the paper.

Sonic spun around in mid-air to see Shadow falling after him. Before Sonic expected, his back hit the ground and the black hedgehog dropped down on him. Shadow quickly placed his arms and legs down on Sonic's limbs, holding him firmly to the ground. The impact forced Sonic's energy to abandon him, leaving him with a horrible dull pain resonating through his body. Suddenly Knuckles was holding him down as well, and Sonic knew there was absolutely no hope of escaping. Still, Sonic struggled anyway, forcing his body to stretch and flail in any way possible. Knuckles tightened his grip on Sonic's arms. "It's time you answer for what you did to her!" Knuckles growled.

"_What_ did I _do_?" Sonic said desperately. "Knuckles, _get off_! There are more important things at stake than whatever _you're_ talking about!"

G.U.N. surrounded them as Sonic struggled. Knuckles and Shadow forced Sonic to his feet, holding him tight and pushing his hands behind him. A muscular looking soldier in a black uniform stepped forward and moved so close to Sonic that he could smell the man's thick cologne. The soldier tightened cold metal handcuffs around both Sonic's wrists and ankles. "You are under arrest, Sonic the Hedgehog, for the murder of Amy Rose."

Sonic's heart froze, and his mind jolted with shock. He felt like he was going to throw up. And all his emotions, every pain he felt for Amy since she had died, rose in him, forcing him on in a desperate shout. "WHAT? What are you—I'd never kill Amy! NEVER!"

No one paid attention to Sonic's cries as Shadow and Knuckles dragged him toward an armored vehicle. Sonic felt his eyes burning, his heart heavy and hurting. He looked around desperately for any chance of escape.

His eyes landed on Tails's tired, shocked face.

"NO! Don't—you're going to let it happen! The killer's not done! He's after Tails next—TAILS IS NEXT!"

Tails's face paled even further, but no one else seemed to care at all about what Sonic was saying. Sonic's stomach dropped as his feet were dragged through dancing yellow flowers that were oblivious to the direness of the situation. How…how could things end this way? If no one would believe him, Tails would die.

And no one would believe him. Shadow and Knuckles threw Sonic into the vehicle and slammed the door behind him. Sonic was left alone in silent darkness in the caged-end of the vehicle. Sonic collapsed against a wall, and the vehicle began to move beneath him. Icy metal touched his skin, sending chills up his spine. He still felt the crumpled paper of Amy's last letter in his hand.

Sonic's heart fell…fell so far, so fast…and he felt like the bullets that had once impacted Amy's body had lodged themselves in his heart.


	18. Loss of a Hero

Sonic's sight blurred with tears that he couldn't seem to banish.

The room's air conditioning froze him with icy-cold air that smelled of lemon cleaning solution. Graying walls of peeling white paint towered over him in the small room. A dim florescent bulb hung down from the ceiling, shining down on a simple metal table. On one side of the table was an empty folding chair. On the other sat Sonic in a straight-backed metal chair, shiny-new and no doubt strong. Sonic's wrists were cuffed to the table in front of him and his ankles cuffed together beneath him.

He yanked his hands up hard in desperation, but the cuffs failed to give. He looked away, feeling angry tears now slipping down his face. Amy's final letter brushed against his hand, safe where it was hidden inside his glove, as a reminder of all he failed to do. To his right, a long mirror rested in the wall. Sonic knew it had to be a one-way window and could only wonder who was watching him.

Sonic struggled to figure out what was worse: that he was failing to accomplish Amy's last wish of protecting Tails or that he was being accused of actually killing Amy. And it seemed as though even his friends believed Sonic to be guilty. How could he be? There was no ounce of power inside his body that would even allow him to even think about killing someone he loved so much. He was even careful around Eggman so accidents would not occur. And the victim being Amy…there was just no way.

A thick metal door on the opposite side of the room opened with a hiss, revealing a middle-aged balding man. He uniform was stiff with starch and his shoes shone as brightly as the room's metal table. He stood tall, chin up, glaring down at Sonic with a disgusted expression. He stepped into the room, flanked by two armed guards. The door closed heavily behind the man as he took the seat across from Sonic. Sonic turned his head quickly to face the man and looked him dead in the eye. "I could NEVER kill Amy!" he shouted.

The man's eyes narrowed. He leaned across the table so as to bring his face closer to Sonic's. "Do you know who I am, hedgehog? I am the General; leader of G.U.N. Whatever I say may as well be law. I can throw you in the highest security prison without so much as a trial and not have my motives questioned. So be careful with what you say to me."

Sonic returned the glare. "I didn't kill Amy," he growled in a dangerous voice.

"That was not the question; there was no question. Do not answer me unless I first ask a question," the General warned. "The first question is this: where were you the night Amy was killed?"

Sonic blinked. That night blurred in his memory. All he could remember was seeing Amy's cold, blood-stained body. Then he remembered Amy's letter. Tails had been traveling with Sonic the day of Amy's murder. "Tails and I had been traveling to the mountains, and we got back to his workshop at twilight. I just went out for a run. I got the call about Amy just after getting home around eleven."

"Where were you running?"

Sonic shook his head. "All over; I don't remember."

"Well remember or you may just be convicted of the crime!" the General said, slamming his fist on the table. As Sonic's wrists were cuffed to the table, the force shook his body with tremors.

"I didn't kill her! I just…" Sonic tried to remember something from the run. "…I ran in Green Hill's valleys and stuff. I don't remember specifics."

The General took a deep breath, and Sonic braced himself for what could only be bad news. "Do you realize that a witness has come forward for this crime? No wonder no witness admitted anything; they were too worried of accusing their precious hero—"

"WHAT?" Sonic shouted. "How could someone have seen me there? I wasn't there! Talk to that witness again. That wasn't me!" Sonic's body shook. Who was this witness? Were they trying to frame him? Were they in league with the murderer?

"The witness has given us all we need already," the General snapped.

"What did they say?"

"I DID NOT ASK A QUESTION!" the General roared, suddenly on his feet as his chair clattered to the floor.

"I don't CARE, okay? The guy who killed Amy is still out there! He already killed Kora Neils and now Tails is next on his list!" His heart ached after shouting. He struggled to hold back the tears in his eyes.

"And how do you know that?"

"I—" But Sonic stopped himself. Telling the General about Amy's letters would mean having to hand them over. And there was a chance that not only would they fail to prove his innocence, but he would probably never see the letters again. "I found the hit list," Sonic lied. "All three names were on there."

"Do you _have_ the hit list?" the General demanded.

"I burned it," Sonic continued smoothly. "I hoped that would slow the killer down."

The General let out a heavy sigh. "While I _don't_ believe you, I will investigate your claims. This is too serious to take them lightly." He turned, stepping toward the door.

"WAIT!"

The General glanced over his shoulder. "You have yet to prove your innocence, hedgehog. You will remain here."

"Can I trade my one-phone-call thing for a request?" Sonic asked quickly.

Whether they found him innocent or guilty, Sonic had to save Tails from the murderer. He would have to protect Tails from within prison for the rest of his life if he was ultimately found guilty. But it didn't matter to him. Amy's last wish to save Tails's life was the most important thing to Sonic.

The General narrowed his eyes. "What request?"

"Tails. I don't care if you believe me or not, but Tails is next. And I can't help him from here." He held up his hands and the cuffs restraining him clanged against the metal of the table. "But Tails still needs to be protected. Can you just…do _something_? Make sure someone's with him all the time, keep him safe? Because I won't let Tails be next. I won't."

Sonic's breath flew out of him in pants as he stared intently at the General, practically daring him to deny Sonic's request. The man's eyebrows drew together as he blinked in response. His jaw dropped slightly, and Sonic could see the vulnerability in his expression. The man quickly closed his mouth and averted his eyes, letting out a grunt. "We'll see," he muttered simply. And with that, he left the room, the two armed soldiers following in his wake.

As the door closed, Sonic closed his eyes and let out a slow breath. What did the General mean, 'We'll see'? That wasn't enough. Sonic gritted his teeth behind closed lips, fury burning in his chest. Now what was he going to do?

-(-)-

Tails shivered nervously, unable to take his eyes away from the interrogation room. Watching Sonic…what had his friend become? Sonic's blue fur stuck out in all different directions and dried mud stuck in patches everywhere. His arms and legs were covered in scraps as though he had gone to war against the trees. Dark circles rung the bottom of his eyes. And his eyes themselves…there was a tiredness in them only a great amount of aging could bring, like Sonic had seen too much of the world. Yet, behind it all was anger and passion and desperation.

Tails couldn't even recognize Sonic anymore.

But it was Sonic's voice that changed everything. At first, Tails felt chills running down his spine as Sonic growled at the General. But then…he sounded confused and scared. And then…he just sounded like Sonic. He talked about adventures and running, normal things. He got angry because the General wouldn't take the fact that Sonic's friends were in danger seriously.

Tails honestly didn't know what to think anymore. This was his _best friend_, wasn't it? He laughed and went on adventures and relaxed. He fought Eggman time and time again with a cocky smile on his face. He would die for his friends.

He would…die….for his friends.

Tails took in a shuddering breath. A hand fell on his shoulder, and he looked up to see Rouge standing beside him. "We'll see what happens," she said.

Tails struggled to nod. What _would_ happen to Sonic? All of Tails prayed for his innocence and so much of Tails's common sense told him how Sonic could never hurt his friends.

But…

Still, something nagged at him. The witness had seen a flash of blue moving so quickly that the _only_ person it could be was Sonic. And Sonic looked so wild and lost sitting in the interrogation room, like a monster. He hadn't asked anyone for their help, but had simply run off on some crazy adventure, abandoning all his friends that were still dealing with the loss of Amy.

Something was missing. Something was…off. But Tails just couldn't figure it out.

If Sonic _was_ telling the truth, Tails was in danger of being the next one killed. He recalled Amy's body, red blood staining pink fur where the bullets had sliced through her. Tails heart beat faster and faster. He didn't want that to happen to him. It was hard enough to think about how much pain Amy must have been in but to actually _feel_ that pain…

The General left the interrogation room and walked over to Tails, Rouge, and Knuckles where they stood at the one-way window. "What do you think?" Rouge asked.

The General sighed heavily and shook his head. "I don't know what to think. Everything I see points to Sonic as the murderer, but…" The man paused as though trying to think of the right words. "…what will that cost the world? Sonic is a great hero, but if he truly murdered Amy Rose…all we know about heroes would be questioned." He shook his head again and looked at Tails. "Either way, I will honor his one request. Tails, I do not wish you to leave this building without an escort. I don't care who it is. Agent Rouge, Knuckles, anyone. Just make sure you are never alone, understood?"

"Yeah," Tails agreed softly.

"Meanwhile, I will investigate Sonic's claims, perhaps interrogate out witness once again." He sighed. "We can only hope that the facts don't match up." The General turned and walked away, not standing quite so tall as usual.

"It seems no one wants it to be Sonic," Rouge said. "If it was, then what does that mean?"

"What does anything mean? What do our lives mean?" Tails said. "He's our friend; we've fought with him and been with him forever and…" Tails took in a shaky breath. "…and he's my brother. We'll lose more than Sonic. Everything we know will be wrong."

"Was what he said true, Tails?" Knuckles asked suddenly. "Were you in the mountains the day Amy was killed?"

Tails nodded. "I remember I'd been asking him to go somewhere with me, and he promised that we'd go to the mountains whenever I wanted. I decided that was the day to go. Afterward, Sonic was just gonna go hang around my workshop, but I had work to do that I wanted to be alone for. So I had him go."

"Hm…" Rouge mumbled.

"I mean, I don't know what he did after," Tails said. "He might have gone running, but…I don't know. But he wasn't the same, next time I saw him. He was acting strange, but normal at first. He acted casual, and we took the Tornado up so I could show him my upgrades. When we were in the air, though, he got really sick, but he said it wasn't the Tornado's fault. I thought that maybe he was just out of it because of Amy."

"But it could have also been that he felt sick because he killed Amy," Rouge pointed out. "The guilt could do it."

"Can someone just tell me if he's innocent or guilty?" Knuckles exclaimed impatiently.

Tails looked down at the floor. How could both versions of the story be plausible? "I guess we don't know," he whispered.

* * *

It's nice to get back into this story. Before you worry, I do intend on finishing it. If you're looking for something of mine that I update on a more frequent basis, I would like to recommend my story _Metarex Rule_. In the meantime, please review and I'll update again soon. Ciao for now!


	19. So Far Away

Sonic sat alone in that room for hours, every moment of which he became more hopeless and more angry. Amy's letters scraped Sonic's skin inside his glove. Every time he felt the touch of paper, his heart fell a little farther. He could only wonder if Tails was safe, and it terrified him that Tails, for all he knew, might already be dead.

Even with his nerves running high to breaking point, he drifted off. Nightmares of holding a gun to Amy's head as blood slowly stained his fur jolted him awake within seconds. His body and mind exhausted with anxiety running through him like the blood in his veins made it difficult to do so much as breathe. He had no idea how much time had passed. Minutes, hours, it was all the same in the stale air of that room.

So when he heard the clang of the interrogation room's door opening, he visibly jumped from the abrupt stimuli. Standing in the doorway was Tails, looking hesitant as if he wasn't entirely certain what he was doing. "Tails!" Sonic exclaimed. His voice cracked after so much time without use.

Tails didn't so much as smile. His eyes widened as if in shock of Sonic's ability to speak. Sonic's heart ached. He hated that Tails looked so scared of him.

Tails slowly closed the door behind him and approached the folding chair on the opposite side of the table. He sat there in silence for a long time, not meeting Sonic's eye. Sonic didn't attempt to break the silence, fearing that it would drive Tails only farther away. So he let Tails take his time. Finally, Tails said in a small voice, "Tell me this, Sonic: if you're innocent, why did you run?"

Sonic's heart froze, having not expected that question. The question was so certain, like Tails expected Sonic to be guilty. Sonic, of course, knew the answer, but was it right to tell Tails? All this time, it hadn't been right to tell anyone, lest they face the same fate as Amy. "It's…complicated," Sonic replied.

"I'm smart," Tails said stubbornly, narrowing his eyes. "And there's no one else around but me. What could be so bad that you couldn't tell _me_, Sonic?"

Was that the truth? Was there really no one listening? If no one else was listening, maybe Tails should know. It wasn't like it could hurt. The murderer only killed those who knew about him, but Tails was already on the list. And it simply hurt to look at Tails's angry eyes. Sonic took a deep breath. "Because Amy asked me to."

"Amy's dead, Sonic," Tails said, his voice cracking. His eyes glimmered through a film of tears.

"I'm not crazy," Sonic said quickly. "When we went to Amy's apartment, there was a letter addressed to me. She knew a murderer was after her, and she asked me to find him." As Sonic said it, he realized the memory felt like it was from another lifetime. He might even go so far as to say it wasn't his life, but something he read in a book. Except Amy's handwriting in that letter burned into his brain and made it real.

"But why would she know and not say anything?" Tails asked.

"Because anyone that knows about the killer is put on his list," Sonic explained. "That's why he killed Amy; she heard a murder in-progress and ran in to help. But he played with her and gave her clues to who he might be. She followed the clues the killer left her and left behind notes for me so I could follow them and learn what she knew. That's why I left; I followed her notes."

But that answer did not seem to satisfy Tails. If anything, he looked more concerned. "What?" Sonic asked in desperation. "I'll tell you anything you want to know if it'll convince you."

Tails shoulders slumped, and he no longer dared to look at Sonic. "Sonic, even if you just went after Amy's notes, you can't deny that you've kind of lost it. I mean…you attacked Shadow without stopping for a second to listen. You _growled_ at the General. And…have you looked in a mirror? You look…wild and like you haven't slept in months. I'm scared of what you've become, Sonic."

Sonic narrowed his eyes. "I'm trying to catch a killer."

"I don't care!" Tails cried. Sonic's eyes widened, but Tails wasn't done. "What happened to you? I don't know you anymore. You're not…Sonic. Sonic wouldn't kill Amy, but would you?"

Words failed Sonic. He opened and closed his mouth but nothing came out. What was he supposed to say? Sonic doubted there was anything he could say to convince Tails at this point. "Amy wanted me to do this," Sonic said desperately.

"She asked Sonic to do this, not you!" Tails shouted.

Sonic's breath cut off, and all he could do was stare at Tails. What could he have done that would turn Tails against him so completely? He wasn't a monster, he was still Sonic. And yet, Tails's eyes glistened with tears. "I know it's been hard for you since Amy died," Tails said tearfully. "And I know that you've got to deal with it in your own way. But you left and we needed you. We were worried, and it looks like for good reason. We lost her…but then we lost you."

Sonic averted his eyes. "I didn't mean to leave you," he said softly. "I just had to go."

"Sometimes running doesn't help anything!" Tails snapped tearfully.

Sonic squeezed his eyes shut. He had no reply. He had to say something that would convince Tails of his innocence. But he realized Tails didn't care about Sonic being guilty or innocent. At this point, Tails didn't even care about Amy's death. Because as far as Tails was concerned, he had lost his best friend. Sonic swallowed hard and opened his eyes. Just as Tails barely recognized him, Sonic barely recognized his little brother. He missed the gleaming smile that was the most joyful thing in the world, the eyes so eager for approval drinking in every move his hero made. But now, he watched Sonic with tearful, worried eyes.

Sonic's heart weighed heavily in his chest in a way he just couldn't bear. But right now, he couldn't think about his own mourning for Amy like Tails wanted. That would have to wait for later. "Tails," he said in a low voice, "I can't fix this, but I can try to fight for her like she asked me to. Please, Tails, I can stop the killer and save you, but not from here."

Tails narrowed his eyes, but then the suspicion faded, leaving behind a face far too young. He looked so much more than sad. He looked away, his eyes a deep blue and glimmering in the dim lights. His limbs hung heavily and his entire body slumped. "You didn't answer my question," Tails said eventually. "Why did you run?"

How could there possibly be another way to answer that question? What was it Tails wanted to hear? He left because he wanted to find the killer. He hadn't told anyone because he didn't want to endanger any life but his own. He ran…because it was what he did. He was Sonic the Hedgehog. Running was as simple and essential as breathing. So why wasn't it enough of an answer for Tails? "What do you want me to say?" Sonic begged. "I left to stop a killer and I ran to do it fast, but that obviously backfired." He pulled against his restraints to demonstrate.

"It won't bring her back, Sonic," Tails whispered.

The comment caught Sonic off guard. His blood ran cold, and for a moment he couldn't do so much as breathe. Of course Amy couldn't come back. Even in his world things that died tended to stay that way. Sonic gritted his teeth, struggling to hold back the tears pooling in his eyes. He couldn't think about that now. The letters inside his glove, her smile in his head, she was far too much alive with him for him to be considering how gone she was. Sonic knew she was dead, of course he knew. But he also knew she had been murdered. He couldn't just leave that monster to kill so many others.

_But_, Sonic realized with a jolt, _I can't save her_.

"I know," Sonic said finally. "I just…I can't leave it that way. She's…gone. Amy's gone, I know. And I can't save her, but she never asked me to. She asked me to stop her murderer before he could kill anyone else. And….that includes you now. I can't let that happen." Sonic closed his eyes. A world with neither Amy nor Tails…surely such a thing couldn't be possible. With a heavy sigh, Sonic opened his eyes and looked at his kid brother. He was far too young to be coping with the death of a friend equally young, much less die himself. Still just a kid, he shouldn't even have to know what death was. "Tails, please help me end this," Sonic finished in a whisper and he closed his eyes again. He didn't dare say what he was thinking aloud. _Please help me end this so I can mourn her_.

Sonic felt a hand clasp over his own and looked up to see his brother staring at him with sympathetic eyes. "You didn't kill her, did you?" he said, his voice breaking.

"I would sooner have turned the gun on myself," Sonic said, his voice surprisingly steady.

Tails tightened his grip, and his eyes reflected only further confusion. "Then how could a witness have seen you there?" he asked, barely daring to whisper.

Sonic shook his head. "I don't know," he insisted. "I wasn't there. You remember that day, don't you? We were in the mountains almost all day, and then we came back and I went running. Just Green Hill, nothing even near the city. I got the call about Amy as soon as I got home." Sonic sighed heavily, but it came out more like a growl. "I don't get why someone would say I was there; are they trying to set me up?"

"I don't know," Tails said softly. "I don't even know what to believe anymore. Nothing makes sense. Nothing…fits."

Sonic's heart ached painfully. He wished he could run. It could be anywhere for any length of time. But sitting trapped in an interrogation room was not allowing him to think, not allowing him to just end this and move on. On top of that, no one believed a word he said. "How doesn't it fit? I wasn't there, and I'm not a killer. It doesn't matter what anyone else says because that's not me."

"Isn't it?" Tails said suddenly, and Sonic visibly winced. How had they gotten back to this point? Tails was desperate for the hedgehog sitting before him not to be Sonic. "Because since you left, like I said, it was like you weren't Sonic anymore. Everything you did was warped and twisted. You were in some sort of messed up…frenzy or something. Even now, you look different…wild."

"Of course I do," Sonic said sharply. "Amy's dead; of course I'm messed up. I'm this way because someone killed her; I didn't kill her because I'm messed up. I'm still me, I'm just—" He broke off and looked away. He couldn't bear to finish.

And suddenly, something seemed to break in Tails. He released a sob and threw his arms around Sonic's neck, clutching him desperately. His tears wet Sonic's fur quickly. For a few moments, Tails abrupt action shocked Sonic so that he couldn't react. "Tails," he whispered, any other words failing him. He wished he could reach out and push Tails gently away, hold him out at arms length and tell him everything would be okay. But with his restraints, he couldn't do exactly what he wanted. This time, he had to find the perfect words; they were all he had. "Tails," Sonic whispered tiredly, "I'm sorry things have to be this way, that I can't be here for you, that I'm…different. But I have to find the killer before he finds you. I can't let you die too. I might not be able to save her, but I can save you. Just not from here."

Tails pulled away, wiping his arm across his face. He nodded shakily. "Okay…okay," he said tearfully. "I…I believe you. You've never lied to me before, and…it doesn't matter how much you've changed; you're…you're still my big brother." Tails narrowed his eyes, pushing himself back to his feet. When he spoke again, his voice was far stronger. "Sonic, you're my big brother, and you could never kill anybody. I'll find a way to get you out of here. I promise. We won't let that guy kill anybody else."

Tails attempted a smirk, but it ended up more like a grimace. He turned and headed toward the door. "Tails," Sonic said suddenly.

Tails turned back to him. "What?"

Sonic didn't even bother trying to force a smile; it wasn't worth the effort, and he knew Tails would never fall for it. Not with things being the way they were. Tails saw through Sonic's strength, and he knew it. No reason to even pretend anymore. All he said was, "Thanks."

Tails nodded curtly and without another word, left Sonic alone. Only this time, Sonic had a fighting fire burning inside him once again, albeit a painful one. This war wasn't over, but Sonic wished it was. For the first time ever, Sonic wished he didn't have to fight anymore.

* * *

This chapter was a frightening undertaking for me and was edited thoroughly, but I'm extremely happy with how it turned out. I wanted to get this updated before I left for college, and I'm glad I did so that you can enjoy it! Please review so that I can know to update again soon. :)


	20. Trust and Traitors

"Where is that kid?" Knuckles snapped as he paced back and forth through the break room of G.U.N.'s base. "I wanted to leave an hour ago!"

Rouge snickered at him. She sat stretched out across the black leather couch, looking utterly at ease. "You're as bad as Sonic. Can't sit still for more than five seconds, can you?"

Knuckles spun on her. "Don't ever compare me to him again!" he shouted. "Not after what he's done."

Rouge raised her eyebrows. "You really think he did it?"

"You don't?"

Rouge shrugged. "I have my doubts."

Knuckles narrowed his eyes. Why could she not be straightforward about things? Ever? "Of course you do," he growled. "You helped us capture him, bat girl. If you didn't think he did it, why did you bother?"

Rouge smirked. "Just because I have my doubts doesn't mean I know for sure. But we watched the same interrogation. And we both saw how much he wants to protect Tails, didn't we? Why would he kill Amy if he cares so much about Tails? He's not the type to pick and choose who he likes. After all, if he did, he probably would have offed you by now."

Knuckles glared at her. "What are you trying to say?"

Rouge sighed, getting to her feet. "I'm trying to say that you're as gullible as ever, and the condition seems to be contagious to the rest of the world. Think it through for five seconds: why would Sonic kill Amy?"

Knuckles gritted his teeth. "Because he's reckless and crazy."

Rouge rolled her eyes. "What was that, one second of thought? Okay then try this one: why would Sonic take a gun that he would never think of touching and kill someone that he cared about?"

Knuckles stared at her. Why did she expect him to have so many answers? If he did, then Sonic would already be in prison. But as far as Knuckles could tell, Sonic had just lost it. He thought he had known the hedgehog, known that he was trustworthy despite his leap-before-you-look attitude, but now the evidence proved otherwise.

So why did Rouge sound like she was making a lot of sense?

Knuckles tapped his foot on the white linoleum beneath him. The sound echoed emptily on the blank walls surrounding him. The noise unsettled him further. "You think I want Sonic to be some psycho killer? Because I don't. But I'm not going to let him run loose just because of some hope."

"It's not just some hope!"

Knuckles turned at the sudden sound of Tails's voice. The fox walked though the doorway with narrowed, determined eyes. The expression on his face made him seem many years older. And because of that, he simultaneously seemed many years younger. He clutched his hands into fists at his sides. "I don't think he killed her," Tails said. He hesitated, then said, "I think something's wrong with him, but I don't think Sonic killed Amy."

Knuckles crossed his arms. "Not you too. A few hours ago, we all knew for sure, and now everyone's hesitating. What is this?"

Rouge shook her head. "No, a few hours ago, you knew for sure and just assumed everyone thought the same. There's a difference."

Tails looked at Knuckles. "Hear me out, Knuckles. I'm not saying Sonic's not seriously messed up right now, but I really think that's just because Amy died. That's all." Tails took a deep breath. "And listen, I think he's the only chance we have of finding and stopping whoever did kill her." Tails frowned, looking at his feet. "You must think I'm crazy, but…it just makes sense if you think about it. He couldn't be a killer…because he's Sonic. I know it doesn't sound like it should be that simple, but I think it is."

Knuckles groaned. "Why can't we just be done with this? Why do we keep going back and forth? He either killed her or he didn't. Let's make up our minds once and for all!"

Rouge waved her finger as if she were telling off a foolish child. "Knuckie, Knuckie, you have to stop thinking the world is painted in black and white."

Tails looked up at Knuckles with wide eyes. "He wants to stop the killer, Knuckles. We have to give him a chance. I think he'll tell us what's going on this time; I don't think he'll just run off anymore." Tails's voice lowered and he looked away. "Now that it involves me, he's not going to abandon us."

Knuckles sighed. He shook his head, unable to look at Tails. "Tails…" he whispered. "He might have killed Amy. And if we let him loose…do you really want to let loose someone who might have killed your friend?"

"Yes."

Knuckles spun to him in shock. A chill ran up his spine. How could he have answered so simply? With such certainty? Tails's eyes glistened with tears. "Yes. He can't…he can't have killed Amy. Because if he killed her…I never want to see him again. And if he runs away to hide, I won't. If he killed her, than I don't want to be…I don't know…I just can't imagine a world like that. He's always been my hero. My big brother and my hero and I believed in him. If he killed her…then my entire life is a lie."

Tears streamed down Tails's face. His sodden fur weighed down his face, extending his frown. "I need to give him a chance; I need to let him go so I can know who he is…as well as who I am."

Knuckles stared at him in disbelief, words completely failing him. Tails wiped his arm across his face and still Knuckles had no words. He struggled to do so much as breathe. He stood there in silence until it was too much to bear. Without words, all Knuckles had left was action.

He pushed past Tails and stormed down the hall. Beneath his fur, Knuckles's skin burned and his heart thundered in his chest. _This better be worth it_, he thought.

And with that, he shoved open the door to Sonic's interrogation room. Sonic's eyes shot to the door in shock, his face quickly twisting into confusion at the sight of Knuckles. Before the hedgehog could form a word, Knuckles growled, "If you killed her, I'll kill you."

Knuckles took a step into the room, and his expression softened. He shook his head, releasing a heavy breath. "Sonic, you had better prove me wrong."

And he slipped out a key.

* * *

This is what happens when you get bored in college! So much of this chapter was so difficult to write, but the second half just fell into place. Review and tell me what you think!


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